Kaduna Electric Chairman presides over Powering Africa Summit 2017

R-L: Chairman, Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company/Chairman of the Session of Annual Powering Africa, Yusuf Hamisu Abubakar, Managing Director, Niger Delta Power Holding Company, Mr. Chiedu Ugbo, Acting Director, West African Power Pool, Mr. Oumar Diaw, Representative of National Power Training of Nigeria (NAPTIN), Alhaji Ahmed Nagode and Representative of Raid Merchant Bank Nigeria, Rachel More,  during the two day annual conference on Powering Africa, in Abuja, at the weekend

L-R: Representative of the Association of Nigeria Electricity Distribution (ANED), Mr. Azu Obiaya, Managing Director/CEO, Income Electrix, Mr. Mattew Edevbie, Representative of Raid Merchant Bank Nigeria, Rachel More, Chairman, Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company/Chairman of the Session Annual Powering Africa, Yusuf Hamisu Abubakar and Representative of National Power Training of Nigeria (NAPTIN), Alhaji Ahmed Nagode, during the two day annual conference on Powering Africa, in Abuja, at the weekend

 L-R: Representative of the Association of Nigeria Electricity Distribution (ANED), Mr. Azu Obiaya, Chairman, Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company/Chairman of the Session Annual Powering Africa, Yusuf Hamisu Abubakar and Representative of North South Power Company Limited, Alhaji Ibrahim Aliyu, during the two day annual conference on Powering Africa, in Abuja, at the weekend

KADUNA ELECTRIC FRONTLINE OCTOBER EDITION

MEET THE STAFF SERIES

Constant PPM Monitoring Will Curtail Energy Theft

CCD: Who is Sani Mohammad Makera?
SM:  I had my primary school education at Marafa Model Primary School Bunza. My Junior Secondary School Education was in Government Science and Technical College Bunza. The concluding part of my secondary school education was in Nagari College Birnin Kebbi. Then I proceeded to Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto where I studied Physics. I had my one-year compulsory national service in Abuja in the office of FCT Minister as SURE-P CSWYES Coordinator representing Kwali Area Council. I completed my national youth service in June 2014.

 CCD: When did you join Kaduna Electric?

SM: After my NYSC, I worked with a recruitment company, Joblink Recruitment Service with Head Office in Lagos. I was the State Coordinator, Human Resources, Kebbi State. I later joined Kaduna Electric in September 2015 after going through a rigorous selection process.    

CCD: What were you employed to do for Kaduna Electric?

SM:  I was employed as a metering engineer.  My primary responsibility is to ensure that customers are billed, classified based on tariff, assessed based on load and metered accordingly. Recently, the level of energy loss and theft has become a thing of worry in this company. This is why we have to ensure constant visits to our metered customers and unmetered ones to avoid energy theft and losses.

CCD: How would you describe the kinds of challenges you are facing

SM: As I said earlier, the issue is not just metering but what happens after metering the customers which is the need for constant monitoring to avoid energy theft. Energy theft has become the major challenge bedeviling the smooth running of this company and we can only address if we give attention to it.

CCD: In your own view, how can we curtail such problem?

SM: As I have said earlier, timely monitoring of metered customers is a practical and effective way to curtail energy theft.

CCD: Recently there has been an increase in cases of burnt meters, what is the cause and how are you handling it?

SM: Some of the cases of burnt meters are due to negligence. During pre-metering inspection survey, we made sure that customers are given meters suitable for their load and these meters have what we called ‘Maximum Power Limit’, this is a device that trips off the meter once the maximum load is exceeded thereby saving the meter. Whenever we have a report of any burnt meter, we visit the customer’s premises and inspect the reasons why the meter got burnt. If we find out it is deliberate, the customer will pay for a replacement and all the accompanying charges.

However, we rarely have cases of burnt meters. And this is essentially because of Maximum Voltage Limit that comes with these meters. 

CCD: In your own area of coverage, how do you monitor Prepaid Meter collections and vending?
SM: At the end of every month, we do a check of our active PPMs versus their vending status. This enables us to gather some information such as non-vending customers, those that have not vended for a long time and those under vending considering their load. With these we are able to spot the areas we are losing revenue.

CCD: Which do you consider a better option in determining customers’ consumption: the meter or estimated billing?
SM: To measure the customers’ consumption with meter is a better option.

CCD: What are the shortcomings of the PPMs?
SM: Most of the newly installed meters are from Elsewedy and they come with a sensitive User Control, meaning that most of the problems associated with the meters are due to human error. I am not saying that our meters are error-free but the customers cause most of the problems.

CCD: Do you have any suggestion or advice to the company?
SM: Oh yes, metering is the backbone of the electricity business. I am therefore calling on management to stick to the metering deployment policy if it must attain accurate reading of energy consumed and for revenue collection.

CCD:What are your hobbies?
SM: Reading novels, jogging and hanging with friends.

CCD:Thank you for your time.
SM: You are welcome.

MEET THE STAFF SERIES

Things That Hamper Efficiency At Our Service Centre

CCD: Could you please introduce yourself? 
AK: My name is Ashiru Kazeem Adebowale, an Industrial Service Centre Supervisor for Gusau Area Office. I attended Federal Science College, Sokoto and proceeded to Sokoto State Polytechnic for Interim Joint Matriculation Examination (IJMB) from 2002 to 2007. Thereafter, I got admission to Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, where I graduated with a BSc in Economics. 

CCD: What were you employed as, and could you describe how you felt when you were first hired to work with Kaduna Electric?
AK: I received my employment letter on the 1^st of September 2015 as a Sales Representative with responsibilities that included: bills distribution, developing a good relationship with customers, strategizing on ways to enhance the company’s revenue and to oversee the activities of the Service Center. 
I was elated. It was a feeling of excitement to be employed in a great organization such as this and I saw it as an opportunity to contribute in the power sector. 

CCD: You have just been made the Industrial Service Center Supervisor, what are you going to do differently?
AK: Upon resumption as a Supervisor, I started by sensitizing customers and community leaders. The message is simple: for them to see themselves as stakeholders in the business. And whatever belongs to you, you are expected to take actions that will enable it to succeed and not jeopardize it. This is why they were enjoined to shun all forms of illegal activities like illegal reconnection, energy theft and refusal of pay electricity bills. I am happy to tell you that these ills have reduced considerably due to the sensitization programmes we have been embarking on. I will not relent in doing everything to see that the business succeeds.

CCD: What do you think are hinderances to achieving the set goals at the Area Office?
AK: There are a lot of challenges in Gusau area office but I will just mention a few. Most of our customers in Gusau still see the provision of electricity as the responsibility of government and therefore would not want to pay for it. 
Secondly, there is the problem of vandalism; this situation affects our collection. 
There is also the problem of “Area Boys” who will not allow us to carry out disconnections. I have been able to manage this situation due to the knowledge I acquired from training for Supervisors I attended recently in Kaduna.
Lastly, the issue of mobility; mobility is also one of the greatest challenges we are facing. The Sales Representatives need to have a vehicle to enable them discharge their responsibilities effectively. I am aware that our BDRO is making efforts to see that Gusau Area Office gets motorcycles. 

CCD: Where do you see yourself in the next three years in Kaduna Electric?
AK: I have only been this organization for two years. But I can say that this short period of time has been a huge learning curve for me. I would want to use the next three years to acquire more industry experience and also to sharpen my technical abilities. I see myself functioning at different capacities, like leading a team that will develop the winning ideas for the company.

CCD: How do you ensure an error proof report?
AK: I know the implications of financial mistakes, I know they can lead to heavy losses to the company; a wrong decision can be taken if a report is not properly put together. To avert this I usually double-check my work, I do peer review with my subordinates and line managers before I submit any report.

CCD: What is your greatest strength?
AK: My greatest strength is that I am result oriented. I don’t give up until I get results. And I make effort to see that I achieve the set target and to ensure that Kaduna Electric becomes first among the rest.

 CCD: What then is your weakness?
AK: I tend to be a perfectionist; therefore, I don’t like to delegate to others. But I have discovered that to attain efficiency, I must delegate responsibilities.

CCD: Any appeal/suggestion to other Staff/Management on how to make our operations more efficient?
AK: My suggestion to the management is that they should appeal to government to pass a bill that will criminalize acts of vandalism and meter bypass. 
The management should also address the issues of estimated billing, metering and capturing new customers.  I will also advise that we partner communities, law enforcement agents and vigilante groups to secure our substations and installations.

MEET THE STAFF SERIES

Ours Will Be The Service Centre To Beat

CCD: Shehu Yusuf, tell us about your journey  to Kaduna Electric.

SY:  I joined Kaduna Electric in 2015. I was one of the lucky ones that scaled through a rigorous recruitment exercise. 
Shortly after the training in Sokoto, I was posted to Sokoto Area Office, under Farfaru Feeder where I acted as Supervisor. I worked in Farfaru for a year before I was redeployed to Arkila Feeder as the Supervisor on the 1^st of September 2016. Recently the management organized a one-week training in Kaduna; after the training I was posted to Kaduna Road Feeder, Sokoto.
The journey has not been easy because of the nature of the service we provide but there have equally been some achievements, which we must not fail to acknowledge.
When I resumed at the Kaduna Road Feeder in August, the revenue collection for July was N11.2 Million. In August the revenue generated was N 13.2 Million, a N2 million increase in one month. We are not relenting; we will continue to put in our best in managing the liquidity problems.

CCD: As a Supervisor, how do you run the Service Centre under you?
SY: My primary assignment here is steering the marketing activities, with the sole objective of ensuring 100% collection in Service Center and to ensure that customers complaints are resolved within the shortest time possible. Bills must also be distributed as soon as they are printed.

CCD:  Can you give us an idea of the customer population you are serving?
SY: As at August 2017, I can categorically state that we have 3,210 customers. This is due to the steady increase in number of customers captured, compared to the total existing total of 3,160 at the time of my assumption of office. We hope to hit higher figures in the near future.
Of this number 85% are prepaid customers; 15% are postpaid customers.

CCD: Do you have any strategy in place to improve the productivity of your Service Center?
SY: My plan is to make Kaduna Road Service Centre number 1 in the whole Company. I would like to set a precedent that would be an example to all the Area Offices and ensure that we achieve hundred percent of our target and if possible more. As I am talking to you I have already designed a plan on how to monitor all the installed prepaid meters in my center. We must know the status of each and every meter.

CCD: What are your achievements so far?

SY: I have been able to bring about a significant change in the attitude of my staff, a more positive attitude to work. They are now better equipped to work more effectively with minimal supervision.

 CCD: What is your staff strength?

SY: We have a total of 13 staff members; six are Sales Representatives, four Lines Men, a CCR, a Cashier and a Metering Staff.

CCD: How is your response time to local faults?
SY:  It depends on the nature of the fault. Where the fault is a minor one it takes one to two hours to clear but if it is a major one it might take a day.

CCD: Any word of advice to staff?
SY: I would like them to be very punctual and honest when it comes to work. Also they need to be very diplomatic when interacting with the customers. Most importantly they should pay attention to what I refer to as “ICT” (Integrity, Commitment and Target).