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 23rd 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.
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