By Correspondent in Minna.
Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has appealed to customers to reciprocate improved electricity supply in the region by ensuring prompt payment of bills instead of resorting to cutting corners and launching attacks on field staff.
The AEDC Minna Regional Manager (RM), Engineer Mahmud Keni Ndaduma, made plea in reaction to an attack on Mr. Oshamiluyi Olugbenga, the Chief Security Officer of the region by the family members of a former Commissioner in Niger state.
Olugbenga, narrating the encounter, said that the taskforce on cash collection and meter monitoring was on routine check and got to the former commissioner’s house, he was not at home and it was discovered that the electricity meter was illegal.
He said on demand to know how the ‘illegal’ meter was acquired, Olugbenga said the commissioners’ son who was at home at the of the incident did not provide convincing answer.
This, he added, prompted the taskforce to disconnect the house which did not go down well with the son who came out with a knife which he used to threaten the AEDC staff.
Though the former commissioner’s son was later overpowered and the knife seized from him, Olugbenga said the taskforce returned to office but was followed by the former Commissioner, who instead of calling his son to order, rained more abusives on the team and threatened to deal with them should they ever disconnect his house.
Continued threats by the former Commissioner and his family for daring to cut supply to his house, according to Olugbenga prompted the taskforce invite the police who in turn invited the former Commissioner and his son for questioning.
Meanwhile, the RM, Engineer Mahmud Keni Ndaduma, has condemned in strong terms the attack on his taskforce by the family members of a former commissioner who had tried to evade verifications of his house for allegedly installing illegal meter.
The RM said he expects customers to reciprocate Improved electricity supply not of attacks on his staff.
“We have tried to improve power supply in the region, we pay for this and we expect our customers to reciprocate this by paying for bills promptly instead of resorting to cutting corners to cover actual consumption rate”, he said, warning that this will not be condoned.
“The taskforce had gone to the former Commissioners’ house where they discovered that he has many ACs pumping machines and other electrical appliances with high consumption capacity, yet he is paying peanuts to us at the end of the month and they wanted to know why Why would they be attacked,” the RM queried.
While assuring customers of continued improvement in power supply, Engr. Ndaduma reminded them that, “Electricity supply is business, adding that the AEDC paid for the energy, therefore they have to pay for the energy consumed “so that we can buy more and as well pay our staff”.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
