*Wants FG to settle N4.4bn debts owed by its MDAs
The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) has blamed the rejection of smart prepaid meters by some customers on ignorance.
Head of Communication of EEDC, Mr Emeka Eze, expressed the view at a forum organised by the company for its customers in Ekwulobia Business District in Oko, Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
He said using prepaid meter enables a customer to pay for the exact amount of energy consumed. Eze said the EEDC issues prepaid meters free of charge to customers, urging them not to induce any staff to get it.
The spokesman said the process of installing such meters for customers was on top gear, assuring those that had applied would soon get theirs.
He said the company needs N70 billion to meter all its customers, promising a more robust service in electricity supply to those in its network.
Eze said the EEDC was determined to ensure value for the money the customers pay for electricity, urging those who receive bills to pay regularly.
Mr Eugene Nwankwo, a customer, said epileptic power supply was a major problem and they sometimes had to pay even when they were in total darkness. Nwankwo called for a load-shedding schedule to enable communities and individuals on bulk and estimated billing to track supply.
Another customer, Mr Nwosu Nwosu from Oko, said officials of EEDC were demanding money from his community to install a transformer donated to them. Nwosu thanked the distribution company for organising the forum and expressed hope that it would lead to a better relationship and service delivery.
In his comment, Mr Frank Ejiofor, who was the chairman of the occasion, said the forum was the first in 2018, and was geared toward serving EEDC customers better. Ejiofor who is the Head of Security in the company, decried acts of vandalism on EEDC installation and attacks on its personnel, saying these impede progress.
Also EEDC appealed to the Federal Government to settle the N4.4 billion debts owed it by the Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) within the South-East.
The Acting Managing Director of EEDC, Mr Paul Okeke, made the appeal in Enugu. “As at 2015/2016 what we had as outstanding debts in our books against the MDAs was N4.4 billion which has yet to be paid. The debts are still accumulating since the outstanding bills from 2017 till date is not part of the N4.4 billion,’’ Okeke said.
He said the bulk of the debt was owned by military formations within the zone. The acting managing director said the debt profiles of all strata of the company’s customers had remained huge.
He noted that the huge debt had been reducing the capacity of the company to improve its services to its numerous customers.
The EEDC boss called for the intervention of the National Assembly in making government see reasons to settle the debt to keep the operations of the company running optimally.
Okeke said energy theft had remained another big challenge faced by the company. According to him, EEDC loses billions of naira each month due to energy theft. “We are constantly deploying new technology to prevent energy theft, but it seems that those behind this retrogressive act always look for new ways to perpetrate their evil deeds.
“I will implore the national assembly to enact a law that will stipulate stringent penalty for people that engage in energy theft. In the same vein, I would like the legislature to establish a special court for the prosecution of those who engage in energy theft,’’ he said.
