The Chief Electrical Engineering Inspector of the Federation, Mr Peter Ewesor, has called on electricity consumers to take advantage of the new metering policy of the Federal Government to improve their livelihood.
Ewesor, also the Managing Director/Chief Execution Officer of Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA), made the appeal in an interview in Abuja, on Monday.
“FG has said it is now doing mass metering which is good and a plus.
“People should now take the meters to see we enjoy the benefits from this and more importantly to save ourselves from the hazards of electricity,” he said.
According to him, the consequences of poor electrical installations are deadly and usually unpleasant.
He said there was the need for Nigerians to use electricity safely and advised that “anytime any consumer sees anything that is wrong with the line please quickly report so that it can be repaired.’’
He further called on stakeholders in the power sector to work conscientiously with integrity and sincerity for the reforms in the sector to succeed.
“What we need is that along the value chain everybody should play its role, play its part, conscientiously with integrity, with sincerity.
“If the man generating generates the right quality with the right equipment and transmits the right quality of power with the right material and equipment, the Distribution Companies (DisCos) should distribute the right quality.
“Also, if the man in the house has wired his house properly, rightly, then that is when the synergy of the system will work,” he said.
He also said that a lot was needed from the final consumers of electrical installation by making sure that they got the required services from providers.
He said: “The consumers who are at the receiving end, the last leg, should always demand for their rights and they should always ask for compliance by the providers.
“First and foremost, use the right man to do electrical works, use the right man to do your repairs, use the right man to do your maintenance. Do not cut corners yourself.”
Ewesor said he had discovered that when people set out to build houses they used a lot of strength, but when it reached time for electrical wiring or installation they would go for the cheap articles.
“Nigerians should be wary about cheap quotations from contractors,’’ he said, adding that there was nothing wrong in doing double checks if one suspected that a contractor was there to dupe one.
“People should learn to do the correct thing. It is painful but very beneficial,’’ he said.
He further criticised the practice of consumers not willing to pay for the electricity they consume, which he said was both unpatriotic and threat to the economy.
“When DisCo (Distribution Company) supplies us with power please pay for what you consume. Discos should also ensure that they put the right materials and equipment, especially meters.
“If you do the right thing, everything will work out fine in the sector,” the NEMSA boss added.
