By Yunus Yusuf
Lagos – The management of Eko Electricity Distribution Company Plc (EKEDC) on Tuesday reiterated its commitment to effective service delivery to customers within its network.
Mr Oladele Amoda, Chief Executive Officer of Eko Disco, gave the assurance during a town hall meeting with customers of the company under Ojo Business District Area.
Amoda, who was represented by the company’s Chief Operations Officer, Mr Sam Nwaire, said the essence of the town hall meeting was to discuss with customers on how to improve on service delivery.
“The continuous engagement with customers has been a long-standing customer’s relationship that has been built overtime which needs to be sustained,’’ he said.
Amoda said that EKEDC has yet to collect over N2.4 billion from customers out of the N6.7 billion owed by them for energy consumed in April.
The chief executive said the company recovered N4.3 billion and the huge N2.4 billion debt for the month affected EKEDC’s major projects.
“The company has boosted effective power distribution to customers, yet majority of the customers refused payment.
“In spite of the quantum of supply distributed to customers in April, large numbers of customers are yet to turn up for payment.
“We have equally recorded over N6.2 billion energy consumed by customers for the month of May, but we are yet to compute the final payment charts.
“Outstanding customer’s debt profile since the month is still running,’’ he said.
Amoda said that the debt profile of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) was over N3.8 billion to date.
He said that EKEDC was working with the committee set up by the Federal Government to reconcile the amount being owed MDAs.
According to him, the Police has agreed to pay only electricity bills incurred at the stations, but not by barracks.
The Eko Disco boss, however, lauded the security agencies’ support in protecting the company’s equipment, especially in Ojo Business Unit.
On metering, Amoda said that over 20,800 meters had so far been rolled out.
He said it was not possible for all customers to be metered at the same time because the cost involved was huge.
Amoda, however, said the company had designed a programme for monthly installation, until all customers within its network are covered.
He urged those yet to be reached in the meter roll-out plan to exercise patience, assuring them that no customer would be left out at the end.
The chief executive said that the company had an established billing methodology approved by the industry regulator for billing customers who did not have meters.
This, he said, was usually based on a number of factors which include the customers’ consumption pattern over time and availability of power supply within the particular month for which the customers were billed.
The EKEDC boss urged communities to be vigilant and guard against activities of vandals in their area, adding that the company would work hand-in-hand with the police to ensure prosecution of suspects.
He said that the measure became necessary against the backdrop of over N1 billion lost to various forms of electricity theft and vandalism in the zone.
Amoda said that many electricity materials, such as cables and wires, had either been stolen or vandalised within its area of operation.
Mrs Nkoyo Joseph, representative of State Service Academy, Ojo Business Unit, commended the company for the appreciable improvement in power supply in Ojo axis.
Joseph advised the company to maintain stability in electricity supply.
He urged the company to pursue the meter roll-out plan with seriousness, to secure the confidence of the customers.