Energy Briefs
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THE Eko Electricity Distribution Company has raised the alarm over alleged constant harassment of its staff by soldiers in military barracks and other installations. It said the act would not augur well for the promotion of civilian-military relations being championed by the military authorities.
Oladele Amoda, managing director of the company, said in Lagos, that soldiers tagged their private and official quarters as military zones and harassed electricity workers that requested for the payment of bills for power consumed in such premises. He further disclosed that the company was planning to install bulk prepaid meters in all military and other security agencies’ barracks within its operational territory.
Amoda said the installation of the prepaid meters would totally eliminate every form of controversy regarding the accuracy of electricity bills in the barracks. He also appealed to military personnel having either private or official quarters outside the barracks to pay for electricity consumed in such premises instead of tagging such premises as military zone and using that as an opportunity to harass and scare the company’s staff, while on their official duties.
He disclosed that the company had to resort to disconnecting some military formations after all efforts to make them defray their huge debt to the company proved abortive, adding that the order to disconnect was only given after several letters and notices of intention to withdraw service were not responded to.
Amoda expressed displeasure over the harassment of his company’s staff performing their legitimate duties by military personnel. He said all the military formations within the company’s licence area were indebted to the company to the tune of N600 million with about 60 per cent of the debt being owed by the Army, while about 30 per cent and 10 per cent of the debt profile are respectively shared by the Navy and Airforce.
He noted that since the company pay for energy received from the grid, no segment of customers could be allowed not to pay as no business could thrive when services rendered are not paid for by its patrons.
He appealed to all military formations and Ministry, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, to make payment of electricity bills a priority on the list of their proposed expenditure.
— Jul 11, 2016 @ 01:00 GMT
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