KADUNA ELECTRIC NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2ND EDITION

Bye-bye to long Queues at Cash Offices...as Online Payment Platforms Now Fully Operational.

 Asma’u Mohammed

In the continued effort of the Management to ensure excellent service delivery to the customers, the much awaited E-payment platforms for the benefit of the pre-paid customers of the Company was finally launched last week.

The online bills payment channels, which is a partnership with two payment solutions providers, BuyPower Incorporated and Infostrategy Nigerian Limited, will enable the pre-paid customers of the Company obtain energy token from the comfort of their homes and offices. The service is available round the clock.

Speaking during the launching of the Buypower.ng channel on Monday, 4^th December, 2017, the Managing Director/CEO, Engineer Garba Haruna, disclosed that the Company came up with the idea so as “to make bills payments by its customers easy, convenient and stress-free”.

He expressed optimism that the availability of the new online payment platforms will open a new chapter in customers’ services and shut the door of meter bye-pass.

Earlier in his remark, the Managing Director of Buy Power Incorporated, Benjamin Ufaruna, assured both the Management and customers of Kaduna Electric of the reliability and flexibility of the payment platform, stressing that the channel was developed using modern ICT infrastructure that will accommodate heavy payment traffic.

Ufaruna said: “Our platform was developed after careful study of most of the challenges that characterized online payment platforms in the country; it is not cumbersome and we have eliminated complex repetitive steps to make it easy to understand and use.”

He also disclosed that in the first quarter of next year, Buy Power shall also introduce offline bills payment channels to further ensure efficient service delivery.

In a related development, the second online bills payment channel, irecharge, was officially commissioned on Thursday, December 21, 2017 with all the Directors of Kaduna Electric in attendance. Speaking during the ceremony, the Chairman, Board of Directors, Alhaji Yusuf Hamisu Abubakar reiterated “the commitment of the Board to ensuring the provision of excellent services to the customers through provision of easy, convenient and stress-free bills payment platforms such the one being commissioned today”.

In his remark, the Managing Director/CEO of Infostrategy Nigerian Limited, the owner of the irecharge platform, Mr. Tomi Araromi, disclosed that irecharge is one the most reliable bills payment channel currently available in the Country.

KADUNA ELECTRIC TO PARTNER WITH HIGH ENERGY CONSUMING CUSTOMERS.

Asma’u Gwamna

The Managing Director/CEO, Engr. Garba Haruna has reiterated the commitment of the Management of Kaduna Electric to providing qualitative power supply to high energy consuming customers as part of the Company’s contribution to the socio-economic and industrial development of the Country.

 The Managing Director who made the assertion during a three day working visit to Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara States recently, assured all customers of the Company of excellent service delivery irrespective of the state or location their company is situated.

The MD who was in the three States for the commissioning of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NEC) Forum Offices took time to visit Cement Company of Northern Nigeria (CCNN) Sokoto, the Labana Rice in Birnin Kebbi, as well as WACOT Rice Mill in Argungu.

In all instances, the MD assured the top Management officials of the three Companies of the determination of Kaduna Electric to partner with them. “Kaduna Electric shall partner with all its customers, especially the high energy consuming organizations. We appreciate your contribution to the development of the nation’s economy, hence, we shall leave no stone unturned to provide steady and qualitative power supply to you. This is our modest contribution to ensuring that your business grow and prosper,” he asserted.

He was received at Cement Company of Northern Nigeria (CCNN) Sokoto by the Technical Director, Alhaji Aminu Bashir while the General Manager of Labana Rice Mill, Alhaji Abdullahi Zuru was at hand to receive the Kaduna Electric entourage during the visit.

High points of the visits included guided tour of the facilities of the Companies and strategic business discussions on issues of mutual benefits to all the parties.

KADUNA ELECTRIC VISITS SSS COMMAND AT KEBBI AREA OFFICE       

Nafi’u Kabir Kebbi

The Management of Kaduna Electric, Kebbi Area Office a moment ago visited State Security Service, Kebbi State Command to pay a courtesy visit. This goes with the cause of assuming duty of the new boss of SSS here in Kebbi.

In his opening remarks Ag. Business Development and Relationship Officer and as well Distribution Engineer Engr. Dogara Saidu made a formal introduction of his team and moves ahead to explain the real train of business in Electricity Industry. We the Discos we are at the tail end in terms of supplying the energy and as well collecting back our revenue, but the most painful thing in this regard is people who are using our services are deliberately fail to pay as at when due or not paying at all. Kaduna Electric sees it very important to come again just to let you people know our present predicament, Sir do you know month in month out we consumed energy of at least 1 billion and we could hardly get 10 percent? We want you to come in and help us through especially with rampant issues of vandalism of our installations, meter bypass among others, he added.

While responding to Kaduna Electric team, The Director State Security Service (SSS) Kebbi State Command, M A Kaumi, thanked the Management for deeming it crucial to visit him for mutual understanding. ‘’ be very vigilant especially in this season of Xmas and New Year, because most of unscrupulous uses this time to make Illegalities, in case if there is anything let us know how to help you’’ Mr. Kaumi calls on Kaduna Electric staff to shown away from all sorts of fraud, because no business can sustain if there is any kind of swindle in that organization. Sacrifice should be your watch word, especially leaders, let your mind gets psychological comfort, don’t let familiarity breaks your official responsibility; many times familiarity stops people to outshine in many places. He added.

Operations Supervisor Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara, Engr. Umar Sani Argungu, thanked the SSS Boss for understanding how Kaduna Electric is operating and how we facing customer’s apathy in paying their bills as at when due or not paying at all. Enlightens the community as you made mentioned is of much important and we are on it, we will also continue as it needs continuation. Sir at our own end we goes to the level of engaging traditional leaders to help in actively and Alhamdulillah they almost gave room for understanding the business we are in. He added.

                    

HOW TO STAY HEALTHY DURING HARMATTAN

Asma'u Mohammed

It’s that season of the year again, that is usually characterized by dusty and dry wind. And this predisposes many of us to cold and flu. The season has various negative effects to our body as the ocular and respiratory systems are exposed, the skin as well. This period is characterized by the of cracking lips, sole of the feet, hardening of the palms, ball of the palms, etc. In order to live through the harmattan season healthy and fit, we should take the following necessary steps to cope with this season:

·         Take Vitamins Supplement:

·         Drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration

·         Wash your eyes regularly to avoid red eyes which is common in during harmattan

·         Cover your nose and mouth with a mask or towel when it is dusty

·         Avoid or reduce outdoor activities, especially if you have allergies to avoid dust inhalation of harmful particles coming with the wind

·         Wear clothes that keep your body warm

·         Bathe with warm water:

·         Get medical help if you have running, itchy, sneezing, and stuffy nose

·         Keep the doors and windows closed

·         Always use moisturizers to prevent dry skin and dry palms

·         Use lip balm to prevent cracked lips

In conclusion this season can trigger asthma and allergies. Asthmatic patients should always keep the inhaler handy and avoid dust as much as possible. This dry cold dusty season triggers sickle cell disease (SCD) as well. Patients should drink plenty of water and avoid outdoor activities as much as possible.

Source: http://www.afrabchem.com/

       

MEET THE STAFF SERIES

Placing Customers on Appropriate Tariff Ensures Revenue Improvement _Mr. Wyume SMS Barnawa

CCD: Mr. Wyume, what has been your experience as a Senior Marketing Supervisor in Barnawa Area Office?

DN: As an SMS, it has been highly educative and quiet challenging. There are two levels of supervision an SMS undertake; I oversee the supervisors and the sales reps. So as an SMS, my primary responsibility is to supervise the Service Centres Supervisors, monitor the cash collection and put in place strategies that will ensure improvement in the collection, make sure that the Company’s established procedures and work processes are adhered to by all staff under your supervision and last, but not the least, ensure that all reports are accurate and submitted to the headquarter within the stipulated time.

CCD: What would you consider as the challenging part of supervising people and managing customers?

DN: The basic challenge is getting the staff to key into the new processes; each task or assignment must be completed within a stipulated time, this is what some of them could not come to term with. The second constraint is that some of the Sales Reps are slow in understanding their responsibilities and the demand of their offices. I don’t know if some of them had the necessary orientation before they were posted to the fields or not, almost everyday, one has to remind them of certain routine demand of the job, work flow etc. There is also the need for more hands in the Unit.

As for the customers, the major challenge is apathy towards payment of bills and some pockets of hostility against the staff.  

CCD: What are your strategies for achieving the Area Office’s target?

DN Ours is a data driven strategy; we believe that the set objective can be archived first by using our data, we started by enumerating all electricity users in our entire area of coverage; our major goal is to see that we actually have a reliable database of our customers and be using it to run our operations. For example, our disconnection schedule shall be pulled out directly from the payment made for last month.

Then PMM monitoring; we reinvigorate our PPM monitoring team to make it more effective, every day they are given list of non-vending customers which they must visit to find out why are those customers not vending. We also establish and maintained good rapport with traditional leaders in rural communities who have been beneficial to us in terms of revenue collection and generation. We have also embarked on extensive tariff re-classification to ensure that our customers are placed on appropriate tariff. In terms of revenue collection, target is cascaded down to each Service Center and sales representative respectively with a stipulated amount expected at the end of every month. So, the way we drive our process is completely data dependent.

CCD: What is the percentage collection in comparison to the billing and the percentage billing when compared to the energy received?

DN: Our billing efficiency used to be below fifty percent (50%) but as from April, we increased our billing efficiency to seventy-eight percent (78%). That means after removing energy consumed by the PPM customers, when we checked our energy on grid, we actually billed our customers 78%. so I can say for billing efficiency we are getting there but for collection much need to be done, because when I resumed duty here as an SMS we were at 23% but as of last month, we recorded 49% on Non-MD customers. we are making progress.

CCD: What would you consider as your major achievement since you assumed duty as SMS in Barnawa?

DN: When you said achievements, I would say at least in term of PPM monitoring we put in place an effective measure to monitor all PPM customers and equally supervise the PPM team. This has helped in reducing cases of bypass and ensures early detection of energy theft.  We’ve also successfully run our own database management for the past four months which to a great extent is up to date.

CCD: How do you manage your subordinate for effective teamwork?

DN: I share my knowledge, all information and best practice with my subordinates. Once you have a common goal, teamwork would be effective, so during our review every month, we discuss our strategies and agree on how to implement the strategies in other to achieve better result. So when we have a common goal we keep driving towards it till we achieve our goal and automatically teamwork comes.

CCD: With your experience as a supervisor, tell us one thing you want the Management to do differently.

DN: In terms of communication in the organization, I strongly advise that we should have a clear channel of communication, we always have issues when we sent information to the headquarters and we don’t get feedback on time. We in the field needs to be responded to immediately whenever we pass something to the higher Management; even if our request are not granted, we should be informed on why it was not effected on time to enable us effect correction and that will go a long way to help us in our operations.

CCD: What are you doing in terms of relationship management with staff and customers as well?

DN: In our area, we tried as much as possible to send out timely information and messages to our customers. Each supervisor and sales reps have public WhatsApp group that they communicate with respective customers. The former BDRO, HajiaYaro introduced customers in cluster where customers in each cluster belongs to a separate WhatsApp group. Then the current BDRO, Mr. Sunday Yahaya also brought up customer consultative forum. Within the space of three months we met with the entire community six times. So, we always engage with the customers to find out what issues they have and we receive feedback from them through such engagements. We also use the Forum to enlighten them on their responsibilities to the Company.

MEET THE STAFF SERIES

PPM Monitoring, Customer Sensitization Key to Cash Collection

CCD: Rose Ihiabe as a CSR Supervisor Rigasa, tell us how the Service Center is being run?

RI: Part of my duty is to ensure that all Customer Care Representative work according to the company’s set objective by supervising what they do at all times.

 They, in turn are expected to send in daily reports, where need be, I contact customers to ensure that their complaints have been resolved.

 I am also responsible for ensuring that customers settle their bills, ensuring that PPM customers vend as often as they should while ensuring customers’ utmost satisfaction.

CCD: What would you consider the challenging part of supervising people and managing customers?

RI: One of the major challenges is managing uneducated customers, getting their cooperation can be difficult at times. It is difficult to get them to see things from our perspective, it is difficult to convince them to pay their bills, but we are gradually breaking this barrier.

 As for overseeing the activities of my colleagues, it has majorly to do with my possessing the ability to manage people which I think every leader should have. Sometimes, people come with problems that are related to job while others are personal, I still have to show understanding and support. 

More so, if any of my staff has an issue in the Service Center, I will discuss with such individual so that we can both proffer a solution. 

For aggrieved customers with complaints on their bills, we make all necessary effort to explain their consumption to them, how we came about the figure on their bills, how bills are being accumulated, how to clear their outstanding and where and how to lodge in complaints. That is how a cordial relationship is built.

CCD: Compliant resolution is part your responsibility, what is the most frequent complaint you get from your Area Office?

RI: Their major complaint borders on previous payment not reflecting in current bill, which is part of the reasons they approach us with so much anger and part of our approach  is to apologize them. In most of such cases, after thorough scrutiny of their bills, we find late payment, or the accumulation of the VAT as responsible for the kinds of complaints we get.

The way out in such situations, is to placate them by explaining the reason for getting the kind of bill.

CCD: What are your strategies in achieving the company’s objective?

RI: For me, especially at a supervisory level, I make sure I abide by the company's rules and regulations. I also ensure proper billing and bill distribution. I work towards hundred percent collection by ensuring that Pre-Paid Meters are monitored and that customers are sensitized on relevant matters.

CCD: The company recently celebrated its first ever Customer Service Week, what is your opinion on this?

RI: I must say I was quite impressed given the fact that it was the first CSW commemorated by the company. It recognized and rewarded the Customer Service Providers while using the avenue to appreciate our customers. Most of our customers didn’t expect it and so they were pleasantly surprised, and I believe the next CSW will be bigger and better.

CCD: Since you hold a supervisory role, tell us one thing you want management to do differently.

RI: I want management to look into the issue of inadequate transformer for Rigasa Area Office, which is what is responsible for load shedding. Most of our customers complain of the how supply to them is being rationed thereby using it as an excuse not to pay.

 I will therefore, call on management to provide additional transformers enough to cater for our customers.

KADUNA ELECTRIC NEWSLETTER DECEMBER EDITION

Kaduna Electric Gets NERC Resolution Offices

In fulfillment of its mandate to open Customer Forum Offices across the country, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) is commissioning three of such offices in the Kaduna Electric franchise areas, starting with Sokoto state. Kebbi and Zamfara states will follow shortly.

In his welcome address, the Commissioner, Consumer Affairs Division of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Dr. Moses Arigu, said the idea of Customer Forum offices is to ensure an effective dispute resolution mechanism in the electricity sector and as a way to enforce “NERC Customer Complaints Handling, Standard and Procedures” in line with section 96(1) of the Electric Power Reform Act 2005.

  

Dr. Arigu explained that the forum is the body charged by the Commission to hear and resolve all unresolved customer complaints emanating from the customer Complaints Units (CCU) of Electricity Distribution Companies.  

The forum, which is an appellate court, is to be established within the operational area of every electricity distribution company. 

“It is important to note that an electricity customer must first report any grievance to the Customer Complaints Unit (CCU) of the Distribution Company; it is only when such a matter is not resolved at the CCU level that it can be brought to the forum. 

“However, where the aggrieved party is not satisfied with the resolution at the forum, an appeal can be forwarded to the Commission for consideration.” 

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, a former Governor of Sokoto State and now a Senator, Aliyu Wammako commended NERC for opening the customer complaints forum in Sokoto State describing it as “a sincere show of concern for both the customers and Kaduna Electric”.

Members of the forum are made up of Representatives nominated by Manufactures Association Of Nigeria (MAN), Nigerian Association of Chambers Of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Consumer Protection Council (CPC), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) and Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE)

. 

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, Engr. Garba Haruna who was represented by the Chief Operating Officer Mr. Major Bhaskar, said the opening of customer complaints forum is to ensure effective dispute resolution and that the company would continue to abide by NERC rules, regulations, standard and procedures stressing that Kaduna Electric is committed to serving its esteemed customers.  

He therefore urged the customers in Sokoto State to take advantage of the proximity of the Forum Office in having their complaints resolved.

Kaduna Electric to Deploy Additional 200,000 Meters as Staff, Customers Get NESI Training 

The management of Kaduna Electric has revealed its plans to deploy Two hundred thousand additional meters in the year 2018 after signing a contractual agreement with a Nigerian company recently in Kaduna. 

This disclosure was made by the Head, Corporate communications, Abdulazeez Abdullahi during a workshop organized by Nextier Energy aimed at educating both staff and customers of the company on the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.

According to Mr. Abdullahi, the company is committed to bridging the existing metering gap to meet the yearning of its customers who are yet to be metered.

“These meters are going to be distributed and installed free of charge to our customers. We are committed to ensuring that our customers feel that what they are billed is justified. We have also gone a step further by contracting an indigenous company as part of way of encouraging the use of local content”.

The aim of the workshop, according to one of the facilitators, is to enable all players in the industry recognize their roles, responsibilities, rights and solutions to what appears to be an unending crisis in the sector. 

According to the organizers, the training is part of its Corporate Social Responsibility, which includes educating organization/bodies in areas of its competence in order to bridge the knowledge gap that exists amongst some electricity customer/consumers and electricity employees especially after the unbundling of the downstream electricity sector.  

According to Mr. Okechukwu, one of the facilitators, the workshop was to enable all players in the industry recognize their roles, responsibilities, rights and solutions to what appears like an unending crisis in the sector.

He gave an overview of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), the key players and their responsibilities and some of the challenges the sector is currently facing.

A breakdown of the role and responsibilities of all the members of the electricity value chain was enumerated so that participants could appreciate the role of every member and how its activity affects the success or failure of the entire value chain.

 “For there to be stability in the power sector all stakeholders must play their role.”

He said customers must be willing to pay their electricity bills on time without tampering with their meters and also protect the installations close to them.

He added that every customer has a right to seek redress where it is perceived that he has not been able to get a resolution from the Discos.  

The redress channel, according to him, is set up by NERC to ensure that all parties are fairly treated.

Kaduna Electric Visits Kebbi Police Command, Seeks Protection of Installations, Payment of Bills 

By Nafiu Kabiru

The Management of Kaduna Electric recently visited the Kebbi State Police Command to discuss issues bordering on settlement of bills and protection of company’s installations.  

Speaking during the visit, the Ag. Business Development and Relationship Officer (BDRO) Engr. Dogara Saidu said part of the aim of the visit was to further strengthen the already existing relationship between the two organizations and to foster cooperation in areas of mutual benefits.

Engr. Saidu thanked the Commissioner for support the command has rendered to the company so far.

He however appealed for prompt payment of bills adding that huge debts owed by consumers are making it difficult for the company to meet up with demands of the Market Operators and other financial obligation.

“This is why we urge all customers to pay for what they consume so that we can in turn pay the other operators in the value chain. We also want to seek your assistance in tackling the menace of vandalism; this is another area that affects the steady supply of electricity”.  

Responding, the Commissioner of Police Kebbi State Command, Kabiru Ibrahim thanked the management of Kaduna Electric for deeming it fit to visit the Command.

He commended the company for its efforts in providing power supply in spite of obvious challenges. 

He promised the visiting team of the Command’s readiness to protect the company’s equipment against theft or vandalism and to expedite the action already in place to ensure that the bills are paid.

MD Charges Marketing Supervisors on Cash Collection

By Danjuma Abubakar

The Managing Director/CEO Engr Garba Haruna has charged the marketing and customer supervisors to intensify their effort on cash collection.

He made the statement during an interactive session with the supervisors at the head office in Kaduna

According to him, “I looked at the trend of collection that is one of the reasons I called for this emergency meeting especially within  Kaduna and it is extremely low. How are we going to achieve eighty percent collection? Today is 23^rd you have only seven days left before the end of the month.

He warned that no supervisor spared for underperforming or for giving excuses for collecting only twenty five percent adding that they have very little time to prove themselves.

 He equally said that since the supervisors have been given ‘free hand” to operate, no excuse will be tenable especially as the targets they are given achievable.