TheCable

The Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) has threatened to prosecute residents within the Lekki business unit involved in energy theft and illegal connection.

Tinuade Sanda, chief executive officer (CEO) of EKEDC, spoke on Friday during the customers’ engagement forum in Lagos tagged, ‘DisCo’s energy theft awareness week’.

Sanda, represented by Catherine Ezeafulukwe, chief customer experience officer of EKEDC, said a high rate of energy theft was the major hindrance to steady power supply within the area.

She said the primary objective of the engagement forum in the Lekki district was to improve the quality of supply to the customers.

Ezeafulukwe appealed to customers within the axis to join the company in the fight against energy theft, adding that it has negatively impacted the supply and distribution of power in the area.

The EKEDC officer said the management was working with the police and communities’ vigilante to reduce vandalism on its network and has taken actions including suspension and dismissal of staff found guilty of defrauding members.

“This act is now beyond our control because the action is being perpetrated by some ex-officials of EKEDC who no longer work for the organisation, but have clear understanding of the power network in the area,” she said.

“We are committed to arresting these criminals.

“At the moment, we have devoted resources into cleaning up the system and that is why once these criminals are reported to the authorities, we will follow up the prosecution in the court.”

She told the customers to expose those bypassing meters and energy theft in their areas.

“The fact is that over 80 percent of these criminals are our old and dismissed staff. We need the cooperation of the general public to help us identify and hand them over to the police,” Ezeafulukwe said.

“It is not in our interest to allow unscrupulous elements to continue to thrive by defrauding our customers.”

Ezeafulukwe further said power from the grid was cheaper when compared with the cost of powering homes and offices with diesel, but many customers were not willing to pay for their consumption.

“This is why we are struggling as an electricity distribution company to recoup our bills,” she added.

“To address this issue, we have implemented a policy requiring all customers on distribution transformers to pay up to 50 percent of the energy consumed in a particular period before they can enjoy more service.

“EKEDC has continued to invest in distribution equipment and infrastructure to improve services, but customers must be willing to pay for the energy they consume.”

On meter, Ezeafulukwe disclosed that EKEDC had commenced aggressive metering of all its customers who have paid for the facility.

She said the company is working aggressively with vendors and assured of massive improvement in the metering system.