By Chijioke Kingsley
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – The Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JED), has launched a joint Task Force that will nail energy thieves, electricity vandals and staff who aids and abates customers to bypass meters.
JED said it will no longer tolerate those vandalizing their equipment like transformers which has recorded a high number of proliferation of index cases.
Speaking during the launch of the taskforce in Jos on Thursday, the Managing Director of the energy company, Engr. Abdu Bello Mohammed said if it means to sack all erring staff that are not adding value to the company, he will do so, so long as the company remains sanitized of criminals. https://sundiatapost.com/electricity-embrace-map-scheme-to-obtain-meters-jed-urges-customers/
He lamented that despite the company having a metering penetration of 240, 000, customers on prepaid meters which represents 35 per cent of the entire customer base of the company with an expected monthly revenue increase we still fall short of revenue expectations.
“The company’s expected monthly revenues should be about N2.5 billion, but because of theft, we don’t get close to this amount”, Mohammed said.
He continued: “In 2021, the company spent N7, 298,134, 00, in critical infrastructure upgrades with the intent of improving reliability and safety of services.
“These assets have come under relentless waves of attacks by vandals, notwithstanding their beneficial impacts on communities.
“In 2023 we expended between N400- N500 million in fixing and replacing transformers that have been vandalized. https://sundiatapost.com/over-20-transformers-vandalised-in-march-in-plateau-jed-md-mohammed-decried/
“This is clearly a double jeopardy for the Company, as our revenue is being massively depleted by vandals and energy thieves”, he said.
The Joint Task Force codenamed the “Special Investigation and Prosecution Task Force on Electricity Offences” (SIPTEO), is to mitigate against energy theft and other related offenses, the Board Chairman of JED, Alhaji Adamu Wakil, said during his remarks.
Wakil lauded the initiative, saying that it will help to catch criminals who are costing the company a huge loss.
