By
Abubakar Ibrahim
Electricity consumers in Adamawa state have been cautioned to avoid illegal activities that destroy the power sector leading to poor service delivery.
Stakeholders at a workshop organized by the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED), gave the warning at a meeting with the theme: Promoting Accountability and Transparency in the Electricity Sector, held in Yola.
The workshop, which was supported by Mac Arthur Foundation, brought together Distribution Companies (DisCos), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Journalists and other stakeholders, deliberated on addressing corruption practices in electricity distribution.
The engagement was also aimed at bulding consumer awareness on the challenges associated with the power sector and the necessary measures to reform in the entire electricity distribution system across all the 11 (DisCos) in the country.
Speaking shortly after deliberations at the session, the Executive Director Research and Advocacy of Association of Nigerian Electricity Distribution ANED, Barrister Sunday Oduntan said the workshop would go along way in enlightening the customers and the electricity operators on the dangers of curruption in power sector and to also look at how to serve Nigerians with adequate electricity.
Barrister Sunday added that as an annual event, the workshop was necessary to create better society and have more transparent power sector expressing uptimism that, the engagement would give the customers hope that electricity supply would be upgraded.
Also speaking, a stakeholder from Taraba State Dr Joseph Gimba, said the importance of the engagement cannot be overemphasized, pointing out that, it highlighted deficiencies of the power distributors and the lamentations of customers stressing that there was the need for all sectors to come together and workout modalities that would serve as basis for improvement in ecectricity distribution.
He also advocated the need for synergy between the companies and the customers to relate with harmony and educate consumers on the new policies before implementation.
At the event, alot of customers’ challenges were raised regarding the over estimation of bills, solutions to the prepared meters, the need for government intervention in power sector for better service delivery, as well as the need for more awareness on electricity banding and transparency.
