Yemisi Izuora
The EKo Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) has appealed to customers over the current strain in the power situation and its negative impact on the lives and businesses.
The management in a situation report released in Lagos said though it is a general problem but the company is doing its best to serve customers better.
It blamed the situation on some technical and operational hitches at the generation and transmission side of the electricity value chain.
‘We however wish to assure our esteemed customers that we, at EKEDC are working persistently to ensure that the allocated power is equitably distributed amongst our esteemed customers. We are also working with relevant bodies and agencies charged with generation and transmission of power to ensure the current situation is brought under control as quickly as possible so that the ultimate goal of sustainable, effective and uninterrupted supply is achieve becomes achievable.
In the meantime, we are not relenting in our efforts towards the attainment of this goal as we have continued to make huge investments towards strengthening our distribution network for seamless and efficient power evacuation from the grid and subsequent delivery to our customers. Already our drive for an alternative off-grid bulk power source through embedded generation is progressing at an impressive rate.
We have also commenced the introduction of smart metering technology into our network. Through this programme, a total of three hundred and sixty thousand (360,000) meters are to be rolled out for installation in our customers’ premises free of charge within the next few years. On our Human Resources side, we have evolved a well laid out capacity building plan for all staff members to fit into the new order of optimal service delivery and customer satisfaction, it said in a statement.
Continuing the management said, ‘We are doing all these because we have come to terms with the fact that the power sector requires an overhaul of existing infrastructure, investment in new technology and capacity building to enable us move to a position of uninterrupted power supply.
We have also begun customer engagement activities and awareness campaigns designed to carry our esteemed customers along in all of our operations and activities. Our train of customer engagement and public enlightenment may get to your locality sooner than expected.
As we seek the understanding and co-operation from our customers during this critical period, we wish to reiterate our earlier appeal to customers to conserve energy consumption by switching off appliances that are not in use, pay bills promptly and report cases of extortion, sabotage and vandalism to our business offices. In addition to ensuring equitable distribution of available power, this will guard against negative impact of sudden power surge on such appliances whenever power is restored’.