MEET THE STAFF SERIES

It Takes Planning To Provide Logistics Support - Mustapha T. Ibrahim

CCD: Can we have your brief profile?

MTI: My name is Mustapha Tanko Ibrahim, I am an indigene of Sokoto State; I did my Primary and Secondary Schools in Wammako Local Government and Federal Science College, Sokoto respectively. I then proceeded to Kaduna Polytechnic where I obtained my HND in Purchasing and Supply.

CCD: When did you joined Kaduna Electric?

MTI: I joined Kaduna Electric in November 2017, as a Quality Assurance and Revenue Protection Officer before moving to Administration & Security Department. 

CCD: As an Admin & Security Officer, what relationship do you have with the security agencies?

MTI: As the name implies, the Admin & Security Department work hand in hand with the security agencies to ensure adequate protection of the Company’s assets and installations and even the lives of the personnel; we have cordial relationship with all the security agencies; when ever we need any assistance from them, a phone call is enough to get their presence in the particular place they are needed. In a nutshell, our responsibility is to provide conducive business environment for both the staff and the customers and guarantee the safety of the Company’s property and its personnel at all times and this can best be achieved with the full cooperation of all security agencies on ground. I must confess that we have enjoyed wonderful cooperation from the Nigerian Police, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corp, the judiciary, etc. These agencies have been very supportive.

CCD: What do you consider as a major challenge in Admin & Security Department?

MTI: The major challenge we have in Admin & Security Department is that most often, request and demands for logistic supports comes without notice. Whenever anyone or unit needs something from us, they are always in a hurry and failure to do it is unacceptable. Any little lapse may result to a total failure to the department. Providing logistic support require good planning and we can only effectively plan, if we are notified ahead of time. We handle staff healthcare, logistics, protocol, facility etc., so this makes us the engine room of the Company; Another challenge is that, we also experienced delay in the payment of allowances to security personnel engaged to provided security protection to the Company’s personnel on official trip to places with high security risk.

CCD: How can we improve the performance of the Company?

MTI: Revenue generation is the key in improving the Company’s performance because without increasing our revenue we won’t go forward as a Company; training and orientation are also very vital to the productivity of the workers, and also let’s improve customers’ relationship in terms of improved power supply.

CCD: What is your greatest strength?

MTI: My greatest strength is my ability to negotiate and come to common ground with opposing parties and good time keeping. I have this natural persuasive talent and I always patiently pursue a cause I believe in. I am also a good team player.

CCD: What do you consider as your major achievement since you assumed duty? 

MTI: My major achievement after assumption of duties is negotiation with HealthStone to enroll more hospitals in Gusau. Initially there were only few hospitals enrolled in Zamfara Region and the workers encountered difficulty to get medical attention whenever they are in need. I did all I could to get more hospitals enrolled by HealthStone and the staff in Gusau are now happy with this achievement and I also gain more experience on administrative work apart from my area of discipline.

CCD: Any appeal or suggestion to the management or staff?

MTI: My appeal to Staff is we should all be dedicated to our work; we should also make integrity our watch words. The Company can only make progress if the workforce is committed and dedicated. As for the Management, they should reciprocate by showing appreciation to us when the performance is outstanding. A highly motivated workforce is the most valuable asset to any company.

“ our responsibility is to provide conducive business environment for both the staff and the customers and guarantee the safety of the Company’s property and its personnel at all times and this can best be achieved with the full cooperation of all security agencies.”

MEET THE STAFF SERIES

We Have the Duty to Serve Our Customers Efficiently -Fatima

CCD: Can you briefly tell us about yourself?

FIM: My name is Fatima Ibrahim Musa, I'm from Argungu L.G.A in kebbi State of Nigeria. I was born in Kebbi State; I had my primary and secondary education in Kebbi State; I studied briefly at Adept Computer School, Argungu were I obtained a certificate in computer; I also studied at Adamu Augie College of Education, Argungu were I obtained a National Certificate Education in English and Hausa Languages.

CCD: When did you joined the service of the company?

FIM: I resumed duty on 1st of September, 2015 as a Sales Representative in Kebbi Regional Office, Argungu GRA Service Centre. However, I was redeployed to Sokoto Regional Office, kaduna Road Service Centre as a Sales Representative where I spend almost two years; on the 1st of August, 2018, I was  re-designated as Customer Services Representative (CSR) and   transferred to Water Works Service Centre, Unguwan Rogo, in Sokoto.

CCD: Can you brief us on what your primary assignment is?

FIM: Basically, my primary assignment as a Customer Services Representative is handling customers Complaint and ensuring that customers’ needs are met diligently by providing accurate service in a timely and friendly manner. With my about three years experience as Sales Representative, I also serve as an advocate-at-large where I educate and enlighten the customers on issues not clear, persuade them to live up to their obligations, educate the customers on trending issues in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry, etc. By and large, the Customer Services Representative ensures that the customers have the most pleasant experience available and enhance the reputation of the Company.

CCD: What are the difficulties associated with being a Customer Service Representative?

FIM: Hmmm. You get to face irate customers almost on daily basis; some at the verge of lunching physical hostility, but we do our best to calm them and resolve their complaints. You also get stuck in situations where complaint taken to a particular department to be resolved may get delayed and you end up with so little when you could have done so much more. So, the most difficult customers to handle is the one whose complaint has remained unresolved for a long period of time; that customer has the tendency of becoming an aggrieved customer, perhaps may likely become abusive or even aggressive; but we are trained to handle such customers.

CCD: What are your plans for Water Works Service Centre Customer Service?

FIM: My plans are, not just for Water Works Service Centre but any service centre I find myself, is building a work force and processes with the aim of resolving customers’ complaints efficiently to ensure maximum customers’ satisfaction. This is the only way the Company can achieve 100% revenue collection. As a satisfied customer is a happy customer and a happy customer is a paying customer.

CCD: Any advice to staff?

FIM: Be steadfast and give your best shots in whatever you do. For whatever that is worth doing, is worth doing well; And Success only embraces those that strives harder.

CCD: What do you do at your leisure?

FIM: Hmm, that depends on my mood at that particular time. I could either be reading or watching educative programs on Television. I am also active in social media, like Facebook and WhatsApp and I do chart.

KADUNA ELECTRIC FRONTLINE SEPTEMBER EDITION

People Want Good Service Which  We Must Deliver -BDRO Kebbi

The Frontline crew sat down with the BDRO Kebbi where he bears his mind on the operations of the company in Kebbi Region, the challenges confronting the Region and the secret behind the cordial and friendly relationship existing between the Company and Kebbi State Government. These and many other issues makes the Frontline this month...excerpts .

CCD- Sir, can we have your brief profile?

DS- My name is Dogara Saidu, I graduated from Ahmad Bello University, Zaria where I obtained my first Degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. I also obtained a PGD in Electrical Engineering at Federal Polytechnic, Birnin Kebbi. I joined the former NEPA in 1999 as a Pupil Engineer,  we under went two years compulsory training under the Generation, Transmission and Distribution respectively. After the pupillage, I was posted to Kaduna Zone. I was a Service Engineer, Distribution Manager and Business Manager at various times. After the privatization of the industry I was  transferred to Barnawa from there to Kebbi Regional Office as Distribution Engineer that was 2016, I worked with Alh. Abubakar Ibrahim Hashim as my able BDRO after him I also worked with Stephen Ajayi and we stayed amicably. I was also assigned as acting BDRO for six months before we were called for interview.

CCD: You are one of the BDRO appointed recently after a rigorous interview process, how do you feel being among the two selected?

DS: Surely, I felt great; we went for interview where we meet with top management of the Company. So to me is another avenue for us to display our talent and experiences in improving the business.

CCD: How have you been coping with the challenges of this assignment?

DS: This is one of the challenges we took to our mind, but the vibrant colleagues here with me we make it happen. The mandate is not only to me alone, when we came on board the collection was around one hundred and eighty or there about; we look at the supply we are getting and revenue which is far below expectation, we improve it by almost thirty percent. I always believe in team work and transparency; let your colleagues know that you have confidence in their ability and you are ready to put them through, this will surely galvanise them and bring out the best in them. Team work is the key to achieving most of your set target if not all. We also analysed Kebbi which is predominantly rural and agrarian in nature and strategized on how to move from where we used to be, we made our customers to know that it is not business as usual, these and many more are the  driving forces that took us to where we are now.

CCD: What is the performance of the Region in terms of collection Vis-à-vis the energy received?

DS: This is another big challenge, the energy we receive in Birnin Kebbi Region is not small, when we say 24hrs power supply is not a small energy compare to what we are collecting as revenue. We only make reasonable collection  from our Green Feeders and some part of Yellow Feeders, but the Red Feeders are only giving just about 10%. So with this, you can simply say we are losing 70% from Yellow Feeders and 90% from Red Feeders and on Green Feeders we only collect 50%.

CCD: Record has shown that total customer population of Kebbi Area Office is 45 thousand, don’t you think that there are still many electricity consumers out there yet to be brought into the system, and if you agree with this narrative, what are you doing to bring such unregistered customers into the system?

DS: I agree that what we have on record is not the true reflection of the number of electricity users in the Region. Looking at population, there are still some consumers not captured by mere looking at the houses in Kebbi Regional Office, we should have more than fifty thousand customers on our data base and I believe with what we are doing, before the end of this year, we are going to record significant number on our data base, we are working on that very hard, any two houses that are sharing one service drop we  will bill all the houses for them to pay their individual bills.

CCD: Our investigation also revealed that only 70% of customers billed response to payment, what do you think is the cause of this poor customer’s response and what are you doing to reverse the trend?

DS: As I have said earlier, if you look clearly only our Green Feeders that are responding to up to 50-60% and you see we are losing almost 40-50% of our revenue is not that these customers are not there but, because of the bad attitude of some Sales reps who are not seeing this business as theirs, if you disconnect a customer you need be very vigilant for them not to reconnect themselves or tap from their neighbours in some cases; in some areas they know it is no more government property but they will still do as they want, but such issues are now being address decisively. Another issue here is rural areas where you will find thirty to hundred customers using one service drop and some of them will even abundant their bills because they cannot afford to pay it. Couple with all such challenges we were able to improve our collection from where we meet it around 120m to 130m and with what we are doing before the end of this year we will be able to move our customers’ response to 70%

CCD: You are a qualified engineer, and now you are largely a business manager, how do you manage the demand of these two callings?

DS: In fact, I feel great. My background and the demand of the business has made me more innovative and flexible. When I came to Kebbi, I find out  about nine local governments were out of supply and I took the challenge, I thought of how I can bring back these customers back into the network, I carried-out inspection in the site and came up with creative solution and within two weeks, supply was restored at Zero cost through recovery from other areas. We have also networked the whole feeders in which no customer will remain up to two hours without supply because of fault or any other related issues like vandalism; if  we have  problem with one substation, we definitely know how to supply them immediately. I have a very good team that supports me in this regard. We need to deliver excellent services to our customers and I want the customers to attest to Kaduna Electric’s commitment to discharging its obligations. That is why some people are saying Kebbi is the best Regional Office.

CCD: It is being canvassed in some quarters that the present regional offices as they are, are too wide for one BDRO to effectively manage, what is your take on this?

DS: Yeas I agree that some Regional Offices are two wide for one BDRO, because our business needs to go closer to our customers so, for you to achieve your outcome you really need to go closer to your customers and as well closer to your staff as head. You see like Kebbi if you want go and supervise areas like Yauri- Zuru axis it will take the whole day and that means you need to stay a while to oversee that axis. Problem of our people if they don’t see you often they will relax, these and many more reasons warrant us to go closer to our customers.

CCD: The Company is obviously having a good relationship with Kebbi State Government, what is the secret and what call do you have to other BDROs on how to improve relationship with critical stakeholders in their areas of operation?

DS: Well, there is no secrete, it is something practical. Electricity industry is service industry, what people want is good services. You as a service provider must be ready to render qualitative service always. Let your customers understand your business and be ready to attend to any problem with passion. One need to maintain and respect his integrity which is one of the goals of Kaduna electric, if they understand that all your mission is to provide service to them without any compromise they will respect you and the company at large. In Kebbi, we don’t have any issue with the State Government because they know I am always there for them; if they have any issue at whatever hour, I will be there to solve it and any moment they need our attention we definitely answer to their call.

Another advise to my colleagues BDROs is to ensure that your relationship with these politicians is purely professional and be humble always.

CCD: Sir, do you have any appeal or advice to the Management?

 DS: My advice to the Management is motivation which the Company have already started like this issue of shining star and another one is training which will keep adding value to general outcome of the company.

To the staff, we should all own this company; we can do it by doing what is expected of us and give out our best for the development of our Company.