Board Warns Staff Against Aiding Energy Theft, Fraudulent Acts.
By Asma’u Mohammed
In the continued effort to ensure full accountability of energy delivered to the Company and reduce the ATC&C losses, the Board of Directors has approved some stringent measures to checkmate energy theft and other related offences in our franchise.
The Chairman, Yusuf Hamisu Abubakar, OON directed that the Special Investigation and Prosecution Tasks Force on Electricity Offences, SIPTEO should be rejigged and strengthened to carry out its assigned responsibility of arresting and prosecuting electricity offences effectively.
He contended that “the SIPTEO shall leave no stone unturned in bringing all perpetrators of energy theft and their collaborators to justice”.
He further warned all members of staff to desist from colluding with, aiding or abating the perpetrators of these nefarious acts and anybody caught would be dealt with in accordance with the law.
The Chairman, Board of directors also directed all Area Managers and Service Centre Managers to make this message clearly known to their subordinates, especially the frontline workers.
Kebbi North Send-Off Former Ag. Area Manager.
By Muhammad Najib Atuwo
The Management and staff of Kebbi North Area Office on Monday, 16th November, 2020 organized a send-forth in honour of Mr. Sunday Yahaya, the former acting Area Manager, Kebbi North.
In his opening remark, the OD&D Manager, Malam Sufyanu Haruna Bayawa thanked Mr. Sunday Yahaya for the utmost contributions he gave to the Area Office during his stay as the Acting Area Manager.
He also described Mr. Sunday Yahaya as an honest, kind and hardworking person who always motivates his subordinate to work towards the attainment of set objective despite the challenges and as well as the demand of the office he held.
He enjoined Mr. Sunday to uphold the works ethics he is known for and be a good leader wherever he may find himself and expressed the readiness of the entire staff to put to use, the knowledge gained from him.
He prayed to God Almighty to continue to guide and protect him, also to reward all his good efforts abundantly.
While presenting gift to the outgoing Area Manager, Mr. Sunday Yahaya, the new Area Manager, Malam Abdul-Rasheed Muhammad congratulated Mr. Yahaya for been a good leader who always led by example, a mentor to all, that has contributed immensely to the development of the Area Office and the Company at large.
He further said that the Area Office will miss a resourceful leader who thought us so many things about the industry.
While appreciating the gesture Mr. Sunday stated that he was overwhelmed by the members of staff especially the management staff of the Area Office for the maximum support given to me during my stay as the Acting Area Manager.
Furthermore, he charged all the staff of the Area Office to cooperate and support the new Area Manager in order to uplift the Area Office and the Company in general.
Energy Theft, Meter Bypass, Breach of Trust... Ustaz Haroun Musa
By Danjuma Abubakar
The Islamic cleric who made the admonition in Kaduna yesterday while delivering a lecture on the position of Islam on Energy Theft asserted that any deceitful, dishonest or fraudulent act such illegal connection of electricity, meter bypass or tampering that gives unfair or undeserved advantage to a person is contrary to the dictates of Islam.
Quoting from the Holy Quran and Prophetic traditions, Ustaz Haroun contended that ''the entire life of a Muslim, including his conduct in any transaction with his fellow human beings, is a trust and everyone shall give account of the trust given to him/her in the hereafter''.
He beckoned on all electricity users to eschew illegal connection of electricity supply or unauthorised tampering with any equipment as any unit of electricity taken illegally would be accounted for in the day of reckoning.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Managing Director of Kaduna Electric, Engr. Garba Haruna who was represented by the Head, Corporate Communication of the Company, AbdulAzeez Abdullahi appealed to Islamic scholars to educate their wards on the importance of payment of electricity bills and the negative effects of illegal activities on the Company's network.
Engr. Garba Haruna contended that the Company is doing a lot to ensure improved service delivery but the response to payment of bills by electricity users has remained unimpressive which according to him is making it difficult for Kaduna Electric to discharge its obligations to other stakeholders in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Market. He warmed that the Company shall not hesitate to bring to justice anybody found committing any of the established electricity offences.
He called on the clerics to leverage on their positions in the society to educate their congregation on the new Service Based Tariff recently approved by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC.
Management, In-House Unions Resolve to Work together For Better Productivity
Asma’u GwamnaThe Management and the two in-house Labour Unions, the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, SSAEAC and Nigerian Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE have resolved to work together to improve productivity and industrial harmony.
The
resolution was adopted after a Management/Unions meeting held at the Doka Area
Office on Tuesday, 17th November, 2019.
In his opening remark, the Chief Marketing and Revenue Assurance, Mr. Abubakar Jimeta said that the Management and the two Labour Unions are having a very good relationship especially when it comes to taking decisions that will be of benefit to the progress of the Company.
He charged the leadership of the two labour unions to ensure that the employees are doing what is right in discharge of their respective responsibilities. “Looking at what is happening in the industry, we really have to wake-up to our responsibilities and do what is right for our great Company to achieve its goals. I believe you all know exactly the recent restructuring that occurred in the Company, so is no more business as usual”, he said.
In her contribution, the Head OD&D, Mrs. Adeola Akanni appreciated the two in-house unions for coming up with the meeting, this shows there is unity of purpose and good understanding between the union body and the Management.
She contended that all disciplinary action taken by Management at all levels was meant to correct erring staff and send a wake-up signal to others so that each and every staff lives up to his or her responsibility.
“Giving out queries or even suspending staff for non-performance and insubordination as it is enshrine in condition of service, chapter 7 subsection 7.14 of which says an employee may be suspended, if in the opinion of his supervisor, is in the interest of the Company, A line manager can suspend any of his subordinate who has disciplinary actions”, she said.
In her response, the Area Manager, Doka Area Office Engr. Asma'u Salisu Ahmed, stated that some staff of the Area Office were suspended after repeated verbal cautions and warnings to the affected staff proved abortive. She warned that the precarious financial situation of the Company calls for dedication to duty and much more sacrifice from all.
According to her, “I issued queries to those none performing Sales Representatives after series of verbal warnings, some gets two some gets three queries which led to the suspension of so many of them”.
The leadership of the Unions expressed satisfaction with the explanations given by all concerned and better understanding of the challenges facing the business and that the union pleaded with the management of the Company to consider its members and all the suspended staff of Doka Area Office. The staff were cautioned and recalled back by the Management of the Company.
The leadership of the two in-house unions have pledged to embark on sensitisation tour to franchise states of the Company to sensitise their members on the new Company's structures, the challenges in the Industry and encourage members of staff to brace up and move the Company forward.
FIRE SAFETY ALERTNESS DURING THE HARMATTAN DRY SEASON
By J. C Adamu
The harmattan/dry season is here again, a season in which most items/materials are dried up and usually susceptible to fire, due to bush burning, carelessness, or non-observance of basic safety rules and precautions.
The need to take appropriate preventive measures to guard against fire incident and destruction of the company properties has therefore become imperative.
Consequently, the management hereby directs and reminds all Area Managers, supervisors, and staff to act as follows:
· Switch off all electrical appliances not in use and unplugged from the sockets at close of work.
· All faulty equipment or tools should be reported for early repairs.
· Surroundings and premises of sub-stations, switch yards and offices should be cleared of weeds and bushes.
· Uncontrolled bush burning should be checked and avoided in and around KAEDCO Installation.
· Fire-fighting equipment extinguishers should be kept in functional conditions inall locations.
All head of Department and supervisors should ensure full compliance with the above safety measures, as management will hold defaulters responsible for losses in the event of fire accidents.
