KADUNA ELECTRIC NEWSLETTER MARCH SECOND EDITION

Kaduna Electric JTF Recovers 339 Compromised Meters

  

In its continuous battle against energy theft, the management of Kaduna Electric has constituted an internal Joint Task Force (JTF) to fight the menace.

Recently, the JTF team visited customers under Kakuri Feeder and discovered 339 meters that have been bypassed.

The team covered Baban Dodo and Zango streets where only 30 customers tendered vending slips ranging from N2,000 and below.

In a statement made available by the Head, Corporate Communication, Abdulazeez Abdullahi, he disclosed that the customers involved have been disconnected and issued adequate penalties.

According to Abdullahi, the customers can only be reinstalled upon payment of the full penalties and the meters recertified.

The 339 Prepaid meters retrieved, he said, are at present undergoing recertification while awaiting payment by the customers involved.

According to him, the leadership of the Makera Area Office, under which the Kakuri Feeder is, has had series of meetings and customer engagements with the traditional rulers, community leaders and youth leaders before the commencement of the exercise to dissuade customers from engaging in meter bypass.

Kaduna Electric Decries Vandalism of Power Supply Assets

Ø  Disco loss ten transformers in three months

The Management of Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company has appealed to community leaders and other stakeholders alike to rise-up against the menace of vandalism of power supply installations which it said is causing untold hardship to its customers and colossal revenue loss to the Company.

The Business Development and Regional Officer of the Rigasa Area Office of the Company, Malam Ibrahim Mohammed made the call in Kaduna yesterday during the customers’ consultative forum held at the Area office.

He disclosed that in the first three months of this year alone, the Company in Rigasa Area office has lost equipment worth millions of naira in about ten incidents of vandalism of power supply assets belonging to the Company, a development he described as “a serious set-back to the company’s effort at providing steady and qualitative power supply to the customers”.

He revealed that some the transformers vandalised during the period included Chawai and Chanchangi sub-stations in Tudun wada, Musabaka sub-station in Kinkinau, Sani Malunfashi sub-station in Kurmin mashi, Zamfara and Kangiwa sub-stations in Rigasa, National eye Centre sub-station in Mahuta village and an armoured cable on Leventis feeder by CBN within the central business area of Yakubu Gowon Way, kaduna.

Malam Ibrahim also charged customers of the Company to ensure prompt and timely settlement of their electricity bills, stating that “it is the only way to guarantee necessary investment in infrastructural development and improvement in service delivery”.

The Village Heads of Unguwan Sunusi, Alhaji Muhammadu and Sabon Garin Tudun-wada, Alhaji Rilwanu Shehu in their separate contributions, commended the Company for the initiative and called for the sustenance of the interactive forum. Alhaji Rilwanu Shehu specifically called on the management of the Disco to supply pre-paid meters to all its customers as a panacea to the frequent altercation and misunderstanding between the Company and its customers over estimated bills.

Marketing Chief Tasks Staff on Innovative Cash Collection Strategy

The Chief Marketing and Customer Services Officer, Mallam Murtala Bello has charged marketing staff at the Kebbi Area Office to devise more workable strategies to meet their cash collection targets.

The marketing Chief gave this directive during the Monthly Performance Review meeting for marketing staff recently in Birnin Kebbi.

He noted that a cursory look at the current collection trend in Kebbi calls for a change in the approach the marketers are used to admonishing them that it is by showing more commitment and innovative strategies that new results can be achieved.

“The company didn’t employ you just to distribute bills and disconnect defaulting customers. It is way beyond that because anybody can do that. You must show your ability to meet and surpass set cash collection targets”.

He tasked them to explain the dynamics involved in getting electricity to homes of the customers adding that customers should be encouraged to give the same priority they give to fuel and recharge card to payment of electricity bills.

“Excuses will no longer be tenable because we are all expected to come up with innovative ways to improve our current cash collection situation”.

The Business Development and Relationship Officer Kebbi Area Office, Engr. Dogara Saidu thanked Mallam Bello for providing different perspectives to cash collection while urging the marketing team to start brainstorming. 

He warned that the company would no longer tolerate lazy staff, disclosing that every marketer is being monitored from the Distribution Transformers up to the Managing Director’s office.

Emirate Council Backs Penalty for Illegal Connections, Non-Bill Payment 

Residents of Gwandu Emirate Council have been warned of the consequences of engaging in illegal connections and non-payments of electricity bills, as they will be made to face the full wrath of the laws.

The warning came from the Emir of Gwandu, Alhaji Muhammadu Illiyasu Bashar after a meeting with officials of Kaduna Electric at Abdullahi Fodio Palace in Birnin Kebbi.

The Emir condemned the attitude of some customers who are of the habit of stealing energy, describing it as sabotaging the efforts of the distribution company and called for stronger penalties for such individuals to serve as deterrent to others.

 Alhaji Muhammadu Illiyasu Bashar who lauded the efforts of the company, decried the attitude of electricity users who refuse to pay for what they use.

He however cautioned some staff of Kaduna Electric whom he said are engaged in corrupt practices capable of jeopardizing the efforts of the company.

In his remarks, the Special Adviser to the Kebbi State Governor on Political and Energy Matters, Alh Yusuf Haruna, Sardaunan Gwandu, noted that non-payment of monthly bills by customers in the state would force the company to divert its energy to other states that are ready to pay. 

He warned that if things do not improve the company will have no option than to take drastic measures to avoid its imminent collapse.

Sardaunan Gwandu announced that the new payment arrangement commences from this month (March 2018) and that no customer will be spared for failure to meet up with the new measures.

Also speaking, the BDRO of Kebbi Area Office, Engr. Dogara Saidu commended the Kebbi State Government and the Emirate Council for the measures taken to ensure prompt payments of bills assuring them of the management’s continued commitment.

Speaking about the efforts currently being made, leader of the team, Mallam Halilu Ibrahim Bashar said that there are new measures being carried out which involve door to door, village to village and house to house approach to ensure total eradication of illegal connections and promote prompt payment of bills.