The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has stated that access to electricity is a right to all Nigerian irrespective of tribe or religion.
The commission said this during a three-day customer complaint resolution meeting at Metropolitan Hotel in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, in order to tackle consumer issues and improve the regulation policy in the electricity sector.
The purpose for the meeting is to improve customer satisfaction and transparency in the industry, emphasising the importance of customer rights and responsibilities.
The Commissioner, Consumer Affairs, Aisha Mahmud Aisha, emphasised the importance of receiving complaints and feedback from consumers during the meeting, noting that these inputs will help the commission make informed policy decisions and draft regulations that cater to the needs of customers, ultimately improving services.
Speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the event, Head of Corporate Communication, Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution (PHED), Olubukola Ilevbare, stated that the major problem bedevilling the Disco is the issue of vandalism and theft.
She encouraged customers to become more vigilant and take responsibility by keeping an eye out for vandals in their community, and appealed to residents in the area to assist the company in protecting transformers and other essential infrastructure.
According to her, “NERC has come as an umpire to say to Calabar customers, what are your issues, especially the unresolved ones?
“There are almost 10 customer service agents to attend to customer complaints, and we are hoping the people will cooperate with us so that we can meet their genuine complaints”.
In his remarks, Hon. Eka Williams, Commissioner for Power and Renewable Energy, highlighted the proactive approach of Governor Bassey Otu’s administration to expanding power supply to all corners of the state.
Eka noted that recently the state government donated 15 transformers to enhance power generation in the metropolis while appealing to PHED to do away with estimated bills.
On his part, Rt. Hon. Joseph Bassey, the representative for Akpabuyo, Bakassi, and Calabar South in the Federal House of Representatives, stated that having a reliable and uninterrupted power supply can significantly reduce 30 percent of Nigeria’s challenges.
He pleaded with the power company not to raise their tariff due to tough economic times and advised residents to avoid damaging power infrastructure in their communities.
Our correspondent reports that attendees at the meeting expressed significant issues bordering on overcharging, metering problems, and transformer issues. The company has assured consumers that they will address their problems.
