The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has warned the 10 electricity distribution companies in the country to improve on their service delivery to consumers and stop making excuses.
In a letter dated March 11, 2014, the commission told the 10 distribution companies that it was time to bring to bear tangible electricity service delivery to consumers within their networks as they had committed to before taking over the companies from the government on November 1, 2013.
Chairman of NERC, Dr. Sam Amadi, who signed the letter told the distribution companies that irrespective of their initial entry challenges into the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) and the commission’s commitment to providing a good platform for their lift-off, the time is ripe for them to deliver their service commitments to the market.
The letter also reminded them that the last three months which had gone by was enough for them to go through extant entry challenges in the sector and as such, constant complaints of poor service delivery from consumers would no longer be taken softly by the commission.
“It has been three months since the handover of electricity utilities to private owners. You took over at a time of great expectation that with the sale of publicly owned generation and distribution assets to private sector operators, there will be discernible improvements in power supply to homes and businesses.
“As you very well know, the government accepted the privatisation programme because of its confidence in the ability of the private sector to infuse finance and managerial capabilities into the electricity industry, thereby, increasing adequacy and reliability among others. You were selected as a preferred bidder because you presented the best plans for reducing Aggregate Technical Commercial and Collection (ATC&C) losses. You also presented credible financial and technical capability to meet the expectations of the power sector reform programme,”
the letter read in part.
Lamenting that electricity consumers have not enjoyed improved power supply since the private takeover, the commission also accused the distribution companies of negligence to maintenance of key distribution equipment and facility upgrade, saying: “Our investigations show that apart from the well known problem of insufficient generation and periodic transmission failures, the failure of supply to these communities is caused more by your failure to invest in routine maintenance and facilities upgrade for the past three months since the handover.”
The letter equally conveyed the commission’s disappointment with the distribution companies’ nonchalant customer communication strategy. It thus warned that that it will not entertain any request for tariff from distribution companies that failed to meet up with established milestones.
The letter was distributed to Kann Consortium for Abuja distribution company, Vigeo for Benin, West Power and Gas for Eko, NEDC/KEPCO for Ikeja, Sahelian for Kano, Integrated Energy Distribution and Marketing Company for both Ibadan and Yola distribution companies, 4Power Consortium for Port Harcourt, Interstate for Enugu and Aura Energy for Jos Distribution Company.
Less talk,more action becouse this is naija 4 us.
Nonsense