MEET THE STAFF SERIES

Our Mandate is to recover Debt, Plug Revenue Leakages…… Bashir ‘EFCC’ Yusuf.

CCD: Can we meet you?

 BY-Yes, I am Bashir Yusuf, I was born and brought up in Argungu from the family of A.M Shayau Balarabe. I graduated from Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto with Bsc, Physics. I also hold a Post Graduate Diploma in Electrical Engineering from the same institution.

CCD- When did you joined Kaduna Electric?

BY-I joined the service of Kaduna Electric in September 2015.

CCD- Please can you briefly explain to us the essence of Enforcement team which you are leading?

BY- It is to recover debt, plug revenue leakages, check energy theft as well address customers’ complaint/grievances for better service delivery. The Enforcement teams are field workers whose mandate is to meet the customers and help them clear issues, if any. We are to ensure full accountability of energy consumed by each and every customer. We are also mandated to boost the Company’s revenue by requesting for additional payments where necessary, because most if not all of our customers are not paying exactly what they consumed.

CCD: Challenges are inevitable in business like ours, what are the pressing challenges you are encountering now?

 BY: Obviously, our major challenges are nothing rather than energy theft, revenue losses and insecurity while on field. Some customers may tend to be hostile towards members of the team or even attack us; some customers are unpredictable in their response to issues, but all I know is that the way you approach your customers is what matters in this kind of our business. In this regard, my yardstick is pay what you consumed no more no less.

CCD- How do we mitigate such challenges? 

BY:   Challenges are inevitable always but by putting more effort on capturing new customers things will be better and also a lot of losses will reduce. They say charity begins at home, some of our colleagues doesn't help the situation, I mean they should insist on real business analysis. Join your hands to support Kaduna Electric by paying what you consumed as a staff of the company.

CCD: Kebbi Area Office has a very wide area of coverage, as team lead how did you move your daily plans?

 BY- We have already taken care of such by dividing our self into three groups; TEAM A which covered Argungu BU, TEAM B which covered Birnin kebbi BU and TEAM C which covered Yauri/Zuru axis.

CCD: What is your perception of Kaduna Electric especially as regard to its potentials?

BY: Kaduna Electric is an organization which struggle to stand on its feet. I believe one day, things will get better in which we as a staff are going to enjoy. I am proud to be a member of the Kaduna Electric family.

CCD: EFCC as I heard some staff were teasing you guys, what are the similarities there in?

BY: The only similarities (between the Enforcement Team and EFCC) are integrity, trust, honest and believe also to protect the Company’s revenue from losses as well as energy theft.

CCD: Sir, since you assumed this office what can you consider as the greatest achievement recorded so far?

BY: As you all know, this is a new department a lot of effort needs to be put in place, so far so good; we have achieved 60% on MD customers’ debt recovery. We also achieved on so many issues related to faulty meters discovery which caused the Company loss of revenue due to non-accounting of a lot of energy consumed by customers.

CCD: In the cause of you work, what did experienced which you think is unique from all other area offices?

BY: So Many things such as meter bypass, clamps arm meter readings as well as good customer relation, but the most amazing issue here in Kebbi is people doesn't want pay for service delivery!

CCD:  Do you have any advice to the management of Kaduna Electric?

BY: Yes first and foremost, staff motivation, staff grading system, staff appreciation, job security as well as priority to the staff welfare.

CCD: How did you spent your leisure time?

BY: Research

CCD: What are your hobbies?

BY: Reading and Travelling

CCD: Thanks for the time spent.

BY- Alhamdulillah, is my pleasure.

KADUNA ELECTRIC FRONTLINE APRIL EDITION

Vandals Caught Are Adequately Prosecuted -Barr. Mohammed 

Maryam Mohammed is a barrister that knows her onions. Though relatively new in company, she has her hands firmly on the plough to get things done. She speaks about the menace of vandalism and how it is hampering the business of electricity distribution. The aims and achievement of the just concluded workshop with Judges and Magistrates.  Read on…

Barrister Maryam Mohammed, you recently joined the company as the Deputy Company Secretary/Legal Adviser, what has your experience been so far?

I have been here for six months, but it feels like I have been here for three years. There is a lot to do, a mountain of regulations to read and so much to learn. It has been challenging in a good way.

Recently, the duo of Kaduna and Kano Electric had a workshop for magistrates in all the franchise areas, what is the purpose of the workshop?

It was organized with the High Court and Federal High Court Judges for Batch A and then DPP's Magistrates, Police and Civil Defence for Batch B. The purpose of the conference was to open up communication channels with stakeholders, so they would have an understanding of the sector, its makeup and its challenges. Most especially, it was to foster a relationship based on mutual understanding of the role each party can play in improving the situation we find ourselves in.

What is your assessment of the workshop?

It was a huge success. That was how most of the participants viewed it and it is the way we the organizers view it too. There was an amazing turn out and the conversation flowed easily. We hosted a Justice of the Court of Appeal, Judges from seven states of the federation and they honored us with their presence. 

The Magistrates, Police, DPP's and NDCDC officers were well represented and industry participants including NERC, NBET, experts all came in large numbers. Many attendees implored Kaduna Electric to make the engagements more frequent as it opened their eyes to many issues in the industry they were not aware of. For instance, that Discos buy electricity at a higher cost than it is selling, and no one is paying for the shortfall. This and many more were the revelations they were exposed to.

Lately, there has been an increase in the number of reported cases of energy theft. How have you been handling it?

We have had many vandalism cases and as you know Kaduna Electric's coverage area is really wide. This makes our infrastructure susceptible to pilfering. We liaise with the police and the BDROs in the areas where vandals are caught and watch brief to ensure diligent prosecution of the accused. Vandalism was an issue that kept coming up during the conference because its effects are multi-faceted. 

Are there plans to set up special tribunals to address such cases?

We hope that since the communication channels have been open, the sky is the limit to what we can achieve, but you know some things take time. We will keep pushing till we get there.

What is your assessment of the judicial handling process of energy/electricity cases in Nigeria.

From the reaction and conversations we had at the conference, we are confident that the attitude will improve towards sentencing of guilty parties. A Judge at the conference told us about a matter he handled where a customer sued Kaduna Electric for disconnection and was requested by the company to pay for loss of revenue when caught bypassing our meter. The customer tried to get an exparte order, but the Court did not grant the order. The same customer decided to settle the matter out of Court knowing that the Court will not tolerate the bad faith; he did not come to equity with clean hands.

When you are not working how do you relax?

I read, write, walk, bake, listen to music and try to learn new things.

MEET THE STAFF SERIES

Salisu Hamisu Danyaro,
Service Center Supervisor for 33KV Mafara

Tariff Reclassification key to Cash Collection

CCD: Salisu Hamisu Danyaro, you are the Service Center Supervisor for 33KV Mafara, give us an insight in to your background. 

SHM: I was born and brought up in Kaduna. My primary to tertiary education was here in Kaduna except for National Youth Service Corps that took me to Cross River state. I obtained my first degree In Kaduna State University where I got my B.Sc in Industrial Chemistry. Before joining Kaduna Electric, I worked with Stanbic IBTC, Skye Bank and Sanat Home Art.

CCD: What are your roles as a Service Center Supervisor?
SHM: My primary responsibility is to promote cash drive by way of increasing customer population, reducing outstanding debts and ensuring 100% collection of current charges.
Also, to maintain a cordial relationship with all the customers by solving their problems efficiently and effectively.

CCD: What are the obstacles to efficient cash collection?
SHM: The major challenge the company is having is energy theft. We have cases of meter tampering and illegal connections etc.
Illegal connections are connections done by customers without the consent of the company and mostly such customers are not captured in the company’s data base.
Another category of customers is those who pay below their current charges and some of them engage in looping: this simply means they allow their neighbors to tap energy. This practice is prevalent in the rural areas.

Estimated billing also hinders cash collection because most customers consume more than they pay for.

CCD: Reconnection fee is a source of revenue for the company. How do you ensure that reconnection fees are remitted into the company’s account?

SHM: For me, this is very simple. Once a customer is disconnected, the customer should be issued a disconnection order/notice. The Sales Rep is expected to ensure that the customer pays the current charge in full besides the reconnection fee which should be paid at the Area Office.

CCD: Are you exploring the customer enumeration aspect of revenue generation?
SHM: Yes, we are. But enumeration is not the only answer to revenue generation, especially in areas where you cannot find new customers; rather you can only separate them. By doing so, the customer population increases without a corresponding increase in revenue. This is where tariff reclassification comes in to ensure that customers are properly placed on their tariff class; only then will revenue increase.
It has not been easy for me given that I cover the rural areas, but despite that I have increased my population by about 32% which is gradually translating into increase in revenue.

CCD: Any appeal or suggestion to staff?

SHM: To my coworkers, please we should treat the business as ours, which is why I must emphasize on team.
Everyone must make cash collection their business. It is not a job only for Marketers or Supervisors and Service Centers.
Let the Service Centers who are not doing particularly very well share the strategies that are working for others.  Your performance is a collective thing at the Area Office level.