KADUNA ELECTRIC NEWSLETTER MAY 1ST EDITION

Nigerian Custom Pledges Prompt Payment of Electricity Bills

The Custom Area Comptroller in charge of Sokoto, Zamfara Command, Comptroller Musa Omale, has pledged to ensure that all officers and men of Nigerian Custom Service residing in the Customs Barrack, Sokoto pays their electricity bills as at when due.

The Customs Comptroller made the pledge while receiving the Chief Regional Officer Sokoto, Kebbi and
Zamfara, Mr Sunday O. Yahaya and his Management team who paid him a courtesy visit.

Mr Sunday Yahaya had during the visit drew the attention of the Comptroller to huge unpaid electricity bills in the barracks and that, some meters installed in the barracks are compromised.

He informed the Comptroller that, Kaduna Electric, as the last layer in the value chain, has obligation to other players in the electricity market which must be discharged every month.

He also briefed the Custom boss of the recent happenings in the sector which led the TCN to disconnect some feeders in Kaduna, all as a result of nonpayment of electricity by customers which contributed to the Company’s inability to meet its market obligation.

According to him, "just as our customers are expected to settle their electricity bills every month, we are equally obligated to pay for the energy supplied to us and transmission services every month to other players in the value chain."

The Chief Regional Officer thanked the Comptroller for the prompt payment of their office bill which he acknowledged is on credit and for the warm reception and promised to sustain the existing cordial working relationship between the two organisation.

In his response, the Comptroller said, he is unaware of such and instruct the Custom Military Officer and the Officer In-charge of electricity in the barrack to make sure staff are paying their bills promptly and desist from any illegality and, anyone found culpable should be dealt with accordingly.

Comptroller Musa Omale, however handed a note of warning to all Officers of the Command that, staffs of Kaduna Electric should be granted access to carry out their duties in the barrack. He urged the officer to sensitize the staff in the barrack.

The Comptroller further inform the Chief Regional Officer that, they have already sent their request to the headquarters for purchase of prepaid meters only waiting for the approval and thank Kaduna Electric Management for the timely visit.

 

Kaduna Electric Engages Traditional Rulers

In its continued effort aimed at fostering greater understanding with the customers, Kaduna Electricity engaged traditional rulers at the Corporate Headquarters of Kaduna Electric.  

In his welcome address, the Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Ocholi Ausa, who stood in for the Managing Director/CEO, Engr. Yusuf Usman Yahaya contended that the aim of the engagement is to bring all concerned to tune with the reality of the Nigerian Electricity Industry and enlighten the customers on the operations of Kaduna Electric and also discuss issues of common interests.

Mr. Ocholi Ausa, appealed to traditional rulers to educate their subjects on the importance of payment of electricity bills and the negative effects of illegal activities such meter by-pass illegal connection energy theft among others and warmed that the Company shall not hesitate to bring to justice anybody found committing any of the established electricity offences.

“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.

The Chief Marketing and Revenue Assurance Engr. Asmau Salisu Ahmed explained the challenges the Company is facing and called on the community to live up to their side of the bargain.

“The Company has a monthly obligation of about 7billion Naira to the Nigerian electricity market until our customers learn to pay their bills as at when due, we shall not be able to meet up our obligations to the market and this will surely affect our ability to provide efficient service”, she contended. 

The traditional rulers stressed that the organization should improve on the customer relations, capability and performance of its staff which they said should be done through giving staff training in accordance with industry’s best practice and procedure.

They appealed to the company to take their responsivity serious “the Company should do justice for the customers in terms of billing efficiency, repairs of electricity infrastructures etc.

They applauded the Company for initiating the engagement and suggest that such meetings should be made a regular event.

 

Kebbi Regional Manager Visits Kebbi State CP, Calls for Police Support in Dealing with Electricity Offences

The Regional Manager, Kebbi Regional Office, Mr. Gaddafi Ibrahim Saminaka paid a courtesy visit to the newly posted Commissioner of Police, Kebbi State Command, CP Lawal Abubakar Daura in his office.

Mr. Gaddafi stated that the reason for his visit to the Police Boss was to intimate him on the current electricity happenings in the state and to also seek for the support of his good office.

He however disclosed to the Police Commissioner the threats and security challenges his staff are facing from some groups of individuals within the state metropolis while discharging their duties, and that hinders the operations of the Company in the state capital.

According to Mr. Gaddafi another issue facing the Kebbi Region is low payment from customers as some of the customers are so reluctant in terms of responding to bills payment.

“In some situations, you will see a customer been billed 13,000 naira as monthly energy charged, but instead you see him paying just 5,000 out of 13,000 leaving behind 8,000 naira as debt, and that is bedeviling the performance of the company as a whole”, he added.

While responding the Commissioner of Police Kebbi State Command, CP Lawal Abubakar Daura welcomed and thanked the Regional Manager and his team for paying him a courtesy call.

The courtesy call is a headway in strengthening the good relationship that has been there between the two organizations, Kaduna Electric as a sole distributor of electricity is playing a very important role in development and socioeconomic activities, and also a key player in curbing security challenges in the state.

As a critical stakeholder we will continue to work hand in hand as partners in progress, we have received some reports of security challenges you are faced with. Let me assure you that under my watch as the Commissioner of Police Kebbi, we will give you all the necessary support you required, we will not allow impunity and disruption of peace, law and order in the state, he said.

He further charged the Regional Manager to put more emphasis on community engagement and general public enlightenment on the current development and the operations of the company.

MEET THE STAFF SERIES

Most Hostile Customers are Guilty of Energy Theft-Mohammed Adamu

CCD:  Briefly tell us about yourself.

MA: My name is Mohammed Adamu. I was born in Kaduna. I had my primary, secondary, and tertiary education in Kaduna.

CCD: When did you join the Company and what's your primary assignment?

MA: I joined the Company in 2019. And My Primary assignment is to increase the collection efficiency of the Company. 

CCD: Can you tell us more about Corporate Intelligence Department? 

MA: Corporate Intelligence is a Department that helps the Company to meet up its targets in terms of collections. The Department also monitors the customer usage of our energy and on this regard, we make sure every kilowatt counts and we make sure we block linkages of energy use by the customer.

CCD: How do you handle customers who try to shortchange the Company through meter bypass?

MA: Immediately after finding out such abnormality, instantly we take the load reading via the use of a clamp ammeter and we have our experts open the meters and find out the type of abnormality because it could be internal or external. If it's external it's something you can see physically but if it's internal is something that we cannot justify until the meter is open. However, after the load is taken, we issue a disconnection notice to the customer, then we disconnect which we would inform the customer to report to the Head Office to collect his letter for further actions. 

CCD:   What are the penalties?                                                                       

MA: The penalties come in different ways, it depends on the nature of the infraction and the customer’s load. If it is a by-pass, the customer pays penalty, loss of revenue, and then a reconnection fee, and if it is an outright energy theft, the customer pays Loss of revenue which at the end, the customer can be directed to MAP Department for him to get a Meter before his light can be restored. 

CCD: How often do you do PPM monitoring and inspection?

MA: PPM monitoring, the moment we went to the customer’s house we start looking from the service drop to the connection point where we expect to see the meter though some were mounted on poles, we check the seal of the meter if it's intact and we look the wires that goes in and out and we insert the meter number to our app to see the vending trend and at times we insist on seeing the Vending slip, it’s after viewing the vending trend, if we are not satisfied with the information we saw, then we proceed to inspect the meter thoroughly.

CCD: What do you consider the most challenging part of your job? 

MA: Most of the challenges are non-cooperation from the customers; sometimes, when you go to a house, some deny access to the house while some insult us and some even lie against us. Some customers, especially the guilty ones, are hostile and often refuse to cooperate with us.

CCD: What do you do at your leisure time? MA: I play football and I watch movies, especially series movies.

CCD: Any appeal or suggestion to Management or Staff?

MA: My advice to the Management is to let them add more effort to what they are been doing in terms of ensuring making things possible for the staff to carry out their tasks. 

 

KADUNA ELECTRIC NEWSLETTER APRIL 1ST EDITION

 Kaduna Electric Provides Palliatives to Orphans, Widows in Kaduna

In the spirit of the this holy season, Kaduna Electric donated food items and other essential supplies to Orphans, Widows and less Privileged privileged people of  Malalin Gabas community under Kawo Area Office in Kaduna today 24th March, 2023.

Delivering the items on behalf of the Company, the Area Manger, Jaji Area Office, Aminu Bakori described the gesture as part of the Corporate Social Responsibility policy of the Company.

According to him, “every season such as this, we identify and provide support  to the indigent and less previledge members of our society who largely depend on the society for assistance”.

Malam Aminu Bakori stated that Kaduna Electric has a policy of giving back to the society through its Corporate Social Responsibility programmes. The Company has been supporting communities within its franchise States in the areas of education, sports, health, relief materials, emergency response, among others.

The Area Manger, Aminu Bakori further solicited for the support of all stakeholders in sensitizing their community to cooperate with the organization which he said will help the Company in its mission to ensure uninterrupted power supply.

 In his response, the Sarkin Hayin Na Iya, Alhaji Haladu Ibrahim commended Kaduna Electric for the act of charity and described the gesture as timely and much needed. He thanked the Management of Kaduna Electric for their kind heartedness, saying that with this, the Company has stood out from other corporate organisations.

"On behalf of my community, I wish to express our profound gratitude to Kaduna Electric for such a wonderful gesture. Indeed, these food items will go a long way in putting smiles  on the faces of the poor in this critical time, I will also ensure that our community fulfilled its responsibility by paying electricity bills as at when due”, he said.

 

Regional Chief Visits Garrison Commander, Nigerian Army, Sokoto, Stresses Importance of Prompt Setllement of Bills.

Kaduna Electric  Regional Chief, Sokoto Region, Mr Sunday Yahaya, has reiterated the role of Distribution Companies (Discos) as being responsible for distribution of electricity generated and transmitted to discos which he said  Kaduna Electric is among the 11 DISCOs in Nigeria.

He made this clarification when he paid a courtesy visit to Brigadier General T Ahmed  8 Division Garrison Commander Nigerian Army, Sokoto.

Mr Sunday Yahaya further listed the challenges of power generation in the country and explained the electricity value chain, stressing that it is important  for customers to have knowledge of the electricity business.

He also stressed the importance of bills payment which he said is the way the Company will continue to discharge its obligation and make further investment for improved services .

The  Regional Chief  highlighted how power  is crucial to security and economy. he also responded on the issue raised earlier by the officer In charge of electricity of the 8 division that the electricity bills given to them VAT is included according to him is one of the reason why their headquarters always rejecting the bills presented to them because of the VAT the chief give them assurance to table the matter to kaduna for removal of VAT. 

Mr Yahaya however encourage them to be paying their bills as the only thing that guarantee power supply is prompt payment of electricity bills by the customers.

In his response, the Garrison Commander, 8 Division, Sokoto Brigadier General T Ahmed, thanked the Regional Chief and his team for the visit. 

While appreciating the cordial relationship between the Army and Kaduna Electric, he assured the Chief that any time electricity bill is presented, he will make sure that the bills are send to headquarters in time for payment