Thursday 25 July 2024

KADUNA ELECTRIC NEWSLETTER JULY 4TH EDITION

 Emir of Birnin Gwari Assures Kaduna Electric of Prompt Payment of Electricity Bills

By Jamila Bala

The Emir of Birnin Gwari, Alhaji Jibrin Mai Gwari II, has assured Kaduna Electric of the prompt payment of electricity bills by his people. The Emir made this commitment during a meeting in the presence of the Chairman of Birnin Gwari, honorable Salisu Isah and Member of Birnin Gwari constituency, Hon Shehu Abubakar and also the Staff of Kaduna Electric, led by the Regional Manager, Mrs Oluwafumilayo King at his residence in Kaduna.


The Emir expressed his appreciation for coming forward to tackle the issue of non-payment of Electricity Bills by his communities and he also acknowledged the importance of electricity in the socio-economic development of his people.

He pledged to mobilize his people to settle their electricity bills promptly, stressing that this would enable Kaduna Electric to improve its services and expand its network.

He also promised that an average of 5 million Naira would be collected monthly and also local Government council will be involved too , to meet up with these agreements. And please bear with us if we can’t meet up with your demands but definitely we will do something he said.

He also requested representatives from Kaduna Electric to visit Birnin Gwari on Thursday where a committee will be formed and will make an announcement on payment of bills as at when due .He assured that security would be provided for Kaduna Electric staff during the visit.

Additionally, he stated that the sensitization messages would be delivered in mosques after Friday prayers.

The Regional Manager, Kaduna Electric, commended the Emir for his commitment and support, stating that the company would continue to work towards providing reliable and efficient electricity supply to Birnin Gwari and its environs.

 

KAWO AREA OFFICE CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT ON ELECTRICITY SERVICES

By Jamila Bala

In a bid to enhance customer satisfaction and foster strong community ties, the Area Manager of Kawo, Hajiya Hindatu Usman, and her team met with Hakimin Kawo, Mallam Jibril Mohammed Magaji, a renowned expert in customer relations, along with district heads from across the region.


The engagement held at the Kawo Area office, aimed to explore innovative approaches to customer engagement and address common challenges faced by local authorities.

Hakimin Kawo emphasized the importance of transparency, prompt issue resolution, and proactive communication in building trust with electricity customers. "Understanding customer pain points and preferences is crucial in delivering reliable and efficient electricity services,"he noted.

He shared their experiences and best practices highlighting successful initiatives such as regular customer engagement forum, social media outreach, and collaborative problem solving from our end. He went further to discuss more on common challenges, such as power outages, billing disputes, and inadequate customer support.

The Area Manager enlightened the attendees on energy management, the importance of meter upgrades, and new connections. She also urged the chairman of the Electricity Committee and all constituency members to assist in sensitizing the community about issues such as vandalism, energy theft, and the prompt payment of electricity bills.

The meeting concluded with commitments from both parties to implement new strategies and continue the dialogue, ensuring that customer engagement remains a top priority for local leaders.

 

Kaduna State Attorney General Pledges to Support Kaduna Electric In Fighting Energy Theft.

By Faisal Babadiya

Kaduna State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Hon. Suleiman Shehu, SAN has assured Kaduna Electric of his support in tackling the menace of Energy theft and vandalism of electrical equipment.


He made the assertion during a courtesy call paid to him by the management of Kaduna Electric led by the Chief Compliance officer, Dr Abubakar Mamudu recently in Kaduna.

The Commissioner said in his remark that “a court is going to be designated particularly for the cases of energy theft, and I assure you once a case is brought to us, we shall prosecute the perpetrator within a shortest period”.

The Chief compliance Officer, Dr. Abubakar Mamudu, said “energy theft sabotages our business” he had earlier expressed concern that the company find it difficult to convince court to prosecute the perpetrators of energy theft and other electricity offenses. He however appealed to the commissioner to make stiffer penalties for the perpetrators.

The Commissioner commended Kaduna Electric for the visit and promised to partner with Kaduna Electric in protecting critical national assets.

 

Kebbi Regional Office Held Quarterly Customer Engagement in Kamba

By Najib Muhammad

As part of Kaduna Electric's efforts to engage and enlighten its customers quarterly, the third quarter of customer engagement was held in Kamba Local Government Area of Kebbi State. The event was aimed to provide a platform for an in-depth discussion on various electricity-related issues, reflecting the company's commitment to addressing customer concerns and improving service.

The Area Manager Kebbi Central Area Office Mr. Aliyu Sa'idu stated the essence of the customer quarterly meeting is to engage and discuss the current developments, educate customers more on the operations of the company, and find lasting solutions to certain issues bothering both parties.

We have received numerous complaints about supply in Kamba and its environs, and we are seriously working on resolving the issues, the line was down some time ago due to the collapse of a certain number of poles along Bunza-Kamba road, and poles were all replaced by the company.

You may also recall the fire inferno that damaged sophisticated equipment at the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) Birnin-Kebbi in September last year, The Federal Government is still working on restoring the facility. In a note shell, the issue of low supply emanated from that, and we are working closely with TCN Birnin-Kebbi to get things done.

"Despite the limited allocation from the TCN, we are committed to ensuring you receive a supply. We kindly ask that you continue to pay your bills, as this will help us serve you better," he said.

In his remarks, Dr. Mansur Isah, the Sole Administrator of Kamba Local Government, expressed his gratitude to the management of Kaduna Electric for their decision to engage with valued customers in Kamba and address ongoing supply issues in the area. He also assured that he will always be available to assist and ensure that the community enjoys reliable electricity just like other areas.

The district Head of Kamba, Sarkin Shiko Alhaji Mamuda Zaruman Fana, stated that the issue of low supply allocation in Kamba has significantly impacted businesses and residents, exacerbated by the country's economic hardships. Despite previous discussions, he appealed for continued support to restore normal supply to the community.

He also urged Kaduna Electric to invest more in metering customers, as this would greatly reduce instances of non-compliance with bill payments. He added that forums like this provide an opportunity for both the company and customers to discuss and address issues, working towards lasting solutions to customer complaints.

 

 

Tuesday 16 July 2024

KADUNA ELECTRIC NEWSLETTER JULY 3RD EDITION

 

New Chairman Solicits Staff Support as New Investors Resume.

 

The new Chairman of Kaduna Electric, Alhaji Aminu Abubakar Suleiman, has solicited for the maximum cooperation of all staff as a new dawn begins in the Company.

He made this assertion at a brief meeting with the Management team after the formal take over from the NERC appointed Special Board in a ceremony presided over by the NERC Commissioner for Legal, Licensing and Compliance, Mr. Dafe Okpaneye in Kaduna last week.

The Chairman assured that the entire Management team will remain in place and that every member of staff will be given a level playing field to prove his competence. He commended all staff for the good work done so far even as he reminded that a lot more effort needed to be put in to meet the expectations of the new Board.


He said the new Board is eager to go to work and has already constituted the relevant Board Committees which will commence work next week.

In his remark at the meeting, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Umar Hashidu, welcomed the new Board on behalf of all staff. He thanked them for believing in the team by giving them the opportunity to serve, adding that the team will demonstrate its utmost to prove its worth.

 

 


Kaduna Electric Tasks Electricity Users in Birnin Gwari Local Government to Improve Response to Payment of Bills.

 

The Kaduna State Regional Manager of Kaduna Electric, Mrs. Fumilayo King has described the persistent poor commercial performance in Birnin Gwari Local Government of Kaduna State as the bane of service delivery challenges in the Area.

Mrs. King made the observation on Monday when she granted audience to the Member representing Birnin Gwari Local Government in Kaduna State House of Assembly, Hon. Shehu Abubakar who stood in for the Chairman of the Local Government in her office.

 

She described the response of electricity users in the Area to payment of electricity bills as "abysmal", saying that only 11% of the cost of energy delivered to Birnin Gwari Local Government is being realized whilst the adjoining rural communities are virtually paying nothing.

According to Mrs. King, "the major challenge the Company is facing in Birnin Gwari Local Government is our inability to collect even 20% of what is given to both the Birnin Gwari Township 11KV feeder and the 33KV Tee-offs that serve the rural communities".

"The average monthly billing of the 11KV Township Feeder is about 8 million naira and the total outstanding as at the end of last month stood at over 900 million naira with only 11% response rate while only about 2% of the cost of energy being delivered to the 33KV Tee-offs is realized monthly", she said.

She called on stakeholders, including political, traditional and religious leaders in the Local Government to educate and sensitize electricity users on the importance of prompt and timely payment of electricity bills as this is the only panacea to the challenge the Company is facing in the Area.

"11% and 2% response rates cannot guarantee any sustainable improvement. The bed the Company can do in the present circumstances is to place the Local Government on Band E tariff which only allows for four hours of supply daily", she said.

In his response, Hon. Shehu Abubakar, whose mission was to seek more power supply allocation to the Local Government, promised to immediately convey a meeting of all critical Stakeholders in the Local Government where the issue shall be discussed and revert back to the Company in due course.

Both parties agreed to work together for the needed improvement in customers' response as well as service delivery.