The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) on Wednesday met with electricity consumers in Edo with a view to addressing complaints over electricity distribution in the state.
Mr Babatunde Irukera, Executive Vice Chairman of the commission gave the assurance in his opening remarks at the commencement of a four-day electricity consumer complaint resolution platform in Benin.
He said that the platform was being organised by FCCPC in conjunction with the MacArthur Foundation.
Irukera, represented by Dr Abdullahi, FCCPC’s Executive Commissioner, Operations, revealed that the commission had been going round the country to listen to consumers’ complaints.
“We know there are issues because the FCCPC has been receiving your complaints.
“I will say electricity is among our major complaint issues that we have received so far in the commission.
“So that is the essence of the forum. We are here today to discuss issues of BEDC and you, consumers of electricity.
“Issues of poor customer service, disconnection without notice, outrageous and arbitrary billing, non-metering of customers, payment made for meters without supply.
“Other issues we know include: prevention of customer vending as a result of disputed bills, under supply of service in respect of service band allocation, mass disconnection as well as general disregard for regulations,” he said.
He noted that electricity distribution had its own regulator, which is the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), but added that the FCCPC works with all other regulators.
According to him, FCCPC is the apex official regulator that deals with competition and operations in the country.
“So we have to once again draw the attention of the BEDC, National Electricity Management Service Agency (NEMSA) as well as the NERC to the complaints from Edo electricity consumers.
“This is to let them know that every complaint by consumers in Edo as well as those brought here today and the consecutive days that we are going to be here must be treated and completely resolved.
“We will also give a timeline that would be adhered strictly to and any disregard to this would be viewed seriously by the FCCPC, ” the executive vice chairman said.
In his remarks, Mr Abel Enechaziam, Chief State Head, Edo BEDC, said that lots of things were being done by the company to ensure that customers were happy.
Enechaziam said that in spite of the of complaints by electricity consumers in the four franchise states of the company, the BEDC would as much as possible resolve them.
He disclosed that this year alone the company had received more that 459,000 customer complaints, while it had similarly attended to more than 455,000 of the cases.
“BEDC has a robust system put in place to attend to customers’ complaints, and we are ready to attend to your complaints,” he said.
He also said that the company currently had lots of network expansion going on, and gave assurance that it would ensure that customers were well taken care of.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that most of the consumers at the forum sought to know whose responsibility it is to replace a faulty transformer between BEDC and consumers, while some others complained about outrageous estimated billings.
NAN also reports that the engagement ends on Sunday. (NAN)
