Friday 24 July 2020

MEET THE STAFF SERIES

The Legal Department Provides Guidance to The Company on Regulatory Issues -ZIYAD UMAR AHMED


CCD: Please can we know You and your position in this company?
ZA: My names are Ziyad Umar Ahmed. I am a lawyer by profession. I am currently employed as a legal officer at the Company’s Head Office.

CCD: What exactly are your responsibilities?
ZA: My responsibilities includes but not limited to providing Secretarial services to the Company. This entails sending out notices of statutory meetings and management Committee meetings, as well as taking minutes of such meetings. I also work with the Company Secretary to file and review Agreements between the Company and third parties. The Company Secretariat also files annual returns of the Company at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

CCD: One of the major problems of this company today is vandalism of power supply assets, meter bypass/theft and other related electricity offences; we are aware that many culprits where convicted and many cases are pending in court, can you brief us on the recent determined cases  and the position of those pending?

ZA:
Vandalism, energy thefts, as well as outright theft of Company resources are huge problems bedeviling the Company.  The Company have had some successes prosecuting culprits. One of such is a case of theft of our cables in Igabi Local Government Area that rendered several communities without power for several months. Through collaboration between the Company and security agents, the culprits were arrested and taken to Court. Items recovered from the culprits included six rolls of aluminum cables, a commercial bus the culprits used to convey the stolen cables and instruments used to vandalize our assets. Five suspects including the receiver of the stolen items were arraigned in court, and owing to the overwhelming evidence against the suspects, they all pleaded guilty. The Court convicted all of them and sentenced them to prison terms ranging from three to fourteen years in jail without the option of fine, so as to serve as a deterrence to others. Also as damages, seven hundred and fifty thousand Naira cost was granted in favor of the Company. The stolen items were released to the Company and power supply was restored to the affected communities.

There are pending court cases and it will not be appropriate to comment on them until they are dispensed with by the various courts.

CCD: From a legal perspective, can we sue a customer for defaulting payment of electricity bills? If no, what is the available options?
ZA:  According to the NERC regulation, the Company can disconnect erring customers for non-payment of bills provided that:
I- payment date is clearly shown on the bill
2- payment date is at least ten working days from the date of delivery of the bill.
3- Payment date has not been superseded by a subsequent payment date.
4- Period between payment date and date of disconnection is not less than three months.
5- A disconnection notice has been issued to the erring customer.

However a customer can be disconnected without notice where:
1- A customer is connected to the network illegally
2- where the customer’s installation is dangerous to the health and integrity of the network or quality of supply to other customers
3- where a customer’s meter is inaccessible to be read for a period of three consecutive bills: provided that:
I-The the Company requests access and was denied.
2- A written warning was issued to the customer that on a particular date, if he fails to grant access, he shall be disconnected.

Furthermore, the Attorney General of the Federation inaugurated a Special Investigation and Prosecution Task Force on Electricity Offences (SIPTEO) to prosecute electricity offenses.

With respect to recovery of outstanding debt, the Company can institute a civil case against a   liquidated company or customer who is financially insolvent to demand for recovery of debt.

CCD: What would you say is your major challenges in carrying your responsibilities as a lawyer?
ZA: The challenges include customer ignorance of the law and lack of timely dispensation of pending cases in court.

CCD: Any appeal or suggestion to management or staff?
ZA:  My appeal to all staffs is that they enrich themselves with the legal requirements for disconnection so as not to create further problems for the Company. Customers are fun of filing cases in court to challenge their disconnection. It is therefore important that the proper guideline is adhered to when disconnecting a customer.

Also that staff should always refer to the legal department for legal advice.






Friday 17 July 2020

KADUNA ELECTRIC NEWSLETTER JULY EDITION

We Have No Option Than to Ensure 100% Collection”… CMRA Told Commercial, HRB and HCB Managers
By Asma'u Mohammed

The Chief Marketing and Revenue Assurance Officer, Alhaji Abubakar JImeta, has charged Commercial, HRB and HCB Managers across the Company to brace-up to ensure 100% billing and collection efficiency among HRB and HCB Band A and B customers.
The charge was made on Wednesday, 8th July, 2019 during the June performance review for the High Revenue Customers and High Customer Base class.
The Marketing and Revenue Assurance boss also directed the officers concerned to be alive to their responsibilities and ensure that all HRB and HCB customers are placed on the right tariff to avoid revenue loss.
“It is embarrassing for somebody that is not in your area to come and dictates for you what is happening in your cluster which means you are not doing what is expected of you”.
He also frowned at the reports making the round that some staff have ceded their official responsibilities such as bills distribution, disconnection exercises and other revenue drive activities to non-staff otherwise known as NEPA 2 in some Service, warning that “such misconducts are unacceptable and shall be decisively dealt with once proven”.
He further disclosed that “the Management expect an average of N1b contribution to the Company’s collection every month from the HRB and HCB Units and will not accept anything short of 100% collection of the amount billed HRB and HCB band A and B customers as they constitute part of the priority group of the Company’s customers.
In his contribution, the Head of Unit, HRB, Mr. Mansur Adamu disclosed that the Unit has concluded plans to ensure proper planning and monitoring of all the HRB Customers across the Company’s franchise area so as to help meet set target.
He however urged Commercial Managers to send their daily and weekly collection.

 
Emir Of Kaura Namoda Urges Kaduna Electric To Collaborate With His Emirate 
By Mohammed Abba
The Emir of Kauran Namoda, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Muhammad Sunusi Ahmad Asha has expressed the readiness of the Kaura Emirate to support the Company, urging Kaduna Electric to build cordial relationship with his Emirate for effective service delivery and mutual benefits of both the Company and its customers. 
The Emir made this called in his palace in Kaura Namoda, Zamfara State recently when he received the Management of Kaduna Electric, Gusau Area Office, when they paid a courtesy visit. 
The Emir noted that, “if the staff of the power Company are able to understand the differences that exist between customers, the company will go a very long way in achieving its objectives and that will also maximize the revenue of the Company. It will also help to overcome obstacles and attain a high standard of service delivery, and this will only be achieved through cooperation, mutual respect and synergy among stakeholders".
The royal father appreciates the recent effort made by the Kaduna Electric in it initiatives to ensure stable power supply in the area.
"We realize that as a private organization, you depend on revenue generation through customers from payment and settlement of bills, as royal fathers, we are mandated to intervene in any way and ensure that our people enjoy uninterrupted power supply. Electricity is a very important backbone of any developments, no any place or country in the world will progress without adequate electricity. Enlightenment and engagement on electricity payment and other related issues should be carried out throughout kaura”, the Royal father noted. 
While applauding the Emir of Kauran Namoda for the warm reception accorded the team, the Area Manager of Gusau Area Office, Engr Saidu Dogara apologized for any misunderstanding that might have occurred in the past and promised to maintain the cordial relation with Kauran Namoda Emirate Council.
"We in the Kaduna Electric are law abiding citizens; we carry al critical stakeholders along, most especially the traditional institutions and our Royal fathers and other solution solvers in the society because they are closer to the people and they know what goes around them".
He also assured the Royal Father of the Company's readiness to work with the Kauran Namoda Emirate Council in every possible way in order to ensure that people enjoy affordable and uninterrupted power supply. 
Engineer Sa'idu Dogara further solicited for the support of all traditional rulers in sensitizing their people to cooperate with the organization by providing all necessary information that will lead to arrest of hoodlums and vandals.
He also urges members of the public to settle their bills which he said will help the Company in its mission to ensure uninterrupted power supply.\
 
Sales Reps, Corporate Intelligence staff, Undergoes Training on Meter Bypass
By Asma'u Mohammed 
In an effort to further develop the capacity of sales Representatives and other frontline staff to meet the emerging challenges of meter bypass and energy theft, the Organizational Design & Development Unit organized a one-day training session for all Sales Reps and Corporate Intelligence staff of the Company.
Declaring the training open on Tuesday, 16th July, 2020, at the Head Office, the Head, Energy Metering Department, Engr. Muhammad Aliyu Gana charged the participants to rise up to the occasion by developing their capacity and acquiring the necessary skills to curtail the rising cases of meter bypass and energy theft.
Engr. Gana said that all frontline staff must have the requisite knowledge of meter installation, they should be well trained, honest and dedicated to duties. 
He also warned against any form of fraudulent activities and misconduct stressing that “that all standard must be followed and any irregularity or compromised must be reported right away”.
“Theft/vandalism of energy is a major problem for many power industries, more so in developing countries such as Nigeria, the amount of lost through being incurred as a result of energy theft is considerably high with adverse effect on the Company’s operations”, he said.