Kunle Adelabu
-Parties agree on mass metering as solution
The Ikeja Electricity (IE) has agreed with residents and lawyers in Ikorodu that mass metering of energy consumers in their Business District and the country at large would greatly solve many problems.
The agreement was reached at the interactive session facilitated by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikorodu branch, as part of its ongoing legal week, held at its NBA Ikorodu Bar Centre, Ikorodu Library, off TOS Benson Avenue, Ikorodu, on Tuesday, June 29, 2021.
Deliberations at the session were in respect to complaints on electricity, over billing, extortion and prepaid meter related issues among others, by IE customers, which had on many occasions turned into confrontations and physical engagements between IE officials and the customers.
Barr. Abimboa Ojedokun, the Chairman of the NBA Ikorodu branch, commended the officials of the IE for honouring their invitation to speak on many issues militating against their services to the people.
He spoke on the landlord/tenant relation, especially as it regards payment of electricity bills, and alleged that staff of the Ikeja Electric most times encourage them to owe because they don’t disconnect them if told.
Ojedokun, who said that he had wrote to the power supplier on many occasions to disconnect such defaulting tenants, also charged others experiencing same to ensure that such tenants are disconnected.
He said that lawyers and landlords should start putting clauses on payment of electricity in tenancy agreement for enforcement, adding that most times, courts don’t want to hear about electricity matters when possession matters are brought before it.
While stating that he was asked to pay N100, 000 to procure pre – paid metre, the NBA Chairman lamented that he is yet to be supplied the meter despite making the said payment.
Barr. Shakiru Omolaja, Chairman of the Community Intervention Committee of the NBA Ikorodu branch, commended the Ikeja Electric officials for honouring the invitation and responding to issues raised.
The fiery lawyer described metering of transformers as fraud against Nigerians while also stating that adequate metering would solve many problems between IE and customers.
“Metering of transformers is a big fraud against Nigerians. There are many that are not using electronics and other high consuming facilities but are being heavily charged”, he protested.
“The way to go is to meter everybody. That’s the only way to resolve many problems regarding power supply to the people”.
He said that some areas, in connivance with IE officials, are involved in energy theft and called for the prosecution of those involved in such act.
Barr. Akin Duyilemi, a senior counsel, while making his own contribution, said that there can never be justification for estimated billing and also emphasised the need for mass metering.
“Customers had been at the receiving end of electricity companies activities. There can never be any justification for estimated billing and we would not rest on our oars until the vast majority of Nigerians are metered” he said.
“Metering is the only way to go”, he also emphasized.
He faulted IE for compensating their staff who he alleged of inflicting pains on customers, for making more money for the company.
He also said that the electric company should work on their feeders which usually switch off for days when it is raining or when there is a thunderstorm.
A former chairmanship aspirant for the Ikorodu Local Government, Hon. Azeez Jimoh Olosugbo, who was also at the event, said that great distrust exists between the IE and its customers and charged the electricity company to be more transparent, engaging and fair in its dealings.
He commended the NBA for the initiative while also charging that the body of lawyers to get involved in a proposal that he is discussing with the Chairman of the Ikorodu – Oga Development Association (IKODASS).
“I am already discussing a proposal with the IKODASS Chairman, Mr Rotimi Erogbogbo, on the need to make the IE billing more transparent through a process that would involve members of the community. It is a way to build trust and cooperation between them and the customers”, Olosugbo said.
“IE must first issue pre – paid metres to all its commercial customers who are high consuming like weather, operators of cold rooms, big stores etc.
“Once this is done, energy consumed in a particular area would be shared amongst other customers once the large consuming customers paid for their consumption”, he explained.
One of the representatives of the Community Development Association (CDA), Mr John Akora from Ogo-Oluwa CDA, Lucky Fibre in Ikorodu, complained that residents of his area have not been given metres despite paying for them several months ago.
He also complained that IE usually fails to stop reading metres when requested by owners, adding that it took her several months to get discount from IE after it failed to stop reading his unused metre.
Mr Akora also faulted the federal government for delaying the distribution of smart metres to the people and also accused lE of lacking in prompt response to complaints, a situation he said has been a major reason for violent reactions and distrust from consumers.
He also complained about the frequent tripping off by the feeder on Ikorodu-Ijebu – Ode road.
Akora suggested that IE should improve on its customers’ relation and also cultivate the habit of responding quickly to complaints.
Mr Adebayo, a resident of Elepe, alleged that consumers with very low power consumption due to their low economic power are charged 600 units which he said usually takes a larger percentage of their monthly income.
He also said that IE monthly bills keep rising on monthly basis without improvement in power supply.
A lawyer, while also making contribution at the session, alleged IE of forcing communities to transfer transformers that they bought with their money to them after paying over a million naira for installment.
Many of the participants at the interactive session also alleged that IE marketers encourage consumers to owe payment for power consumed because the company is only given smart metres to customers owing large sums while others are being forced to pay N100, 000 to get the metres.
Meanwhile, the Business Manager of Ikeja Electric in Ikorodu, Mr Bidemi Ogunsanya, commended the NBA for organizing the forum.
“This is very commendable because a forum like this would let our customers know the true position of things because gone are the days when things are hiding from them”, he said.
“Our aim is to ensure that all our customers are metered for accountability.
“NERC has given us a limit to which we could charge customers without metres.
He said that the law regulating the activities of DISCO Companies only allows them to bill consumers based on their consumption which he said are categorized into four.
“Ikeja Electric is expected to give consumers on Band A (platinum) 20 hours electricity; Band B (diamond) 16 hours power supply; Band C (gold) 12 hours and Band C (silver) 8 hours, on a daily basis” , he said.
“The stipulated hours do not necessarily mean that it must be exactly on a daily basis, but we do ensure that consumers in each of the bands get the cumulative number of hours monthly.
He said that Ikorodu District is a major focus that IE is doing everything to satisfy and pledged that their services would be improved upon soon.
“We are doing Feeder Focus Maintenance by replacing old ones and installing new ones to guide against tripping when it rains or when there's thunderstorms as complained by our customers. At times, this tripping is caused by tree touching feeders and we are currently tracing and pulling them down”, he said.
“We are building new feeders for Agunfoye and LASPOTECH to solve the problems attached to the Ijebu Ode feeders under the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) intervention. Very soon, the problems on Ijebu Ode will be a thing of the past”, Mr Ogunsanya assured.
The Commercial Manager of IE in Ikorodu also said that they are rounding up phase one of the smart metre distribution of over 100, 000 and will soon kick – start the second phase where 6million metres are expected to be distributed.
He said that part of the IE’s efforts to improve communication and relationship with customers is the inclusion of their staff on CDAs WhatsApp platforms.
He charged residents to assist IE in wielding out those that he tagged bad eggs who are demanding bribes or engaging in other fraudulent activities by reporting them to him with evidence.
Mr Ogunsanya agreed with most participants at the NBA Ikorodu facilitated session that adequate metering is the way to go and an important way to resolve many issues between the company and its numerous customers.
“The solution to most of these problems is to metre everybody.
Ogunsanya, who alleged that electric theft is rampant more at Lasunwon/Lambo/First gate area which is densely populated by students of the Lagos Sate Polytechnic, also accused landlords in the area of using students to harass their staff.
However, he stated that the electric company would rather fine customers found bypassing their pre – paid metres than prosecuting them because they are their customers.
