By Adeola Akinbobola
Some residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have expressed concerns over night inspections of alleged meter bypasses and other forms of electricity theft by Abuja Electricity Distribution Company Plc (AEDC) officials.
The residents of Wuse, Garki and Central Business District (CBD) expressed the concern during interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.
Mr Auwal Tanko, who resides at CBD, said they supported AEDC’s efforts to tackle electricity theft and meter tampering but enforcements at night raise security concerns.
Tanko said it also created unnecessary tension between electricity consumers and field personnel.
Mrs Deborah Wilson, a resident at Wuse urged AEDC to conduct the enforcement during daytime hours.
Wilson said it would ensure that its personnel properly identified themselves before entering residential premises.
She also urged the company, where necessary, to notify customers ahead of bypass checks.
“The officials should ensure that enforcement teams operate transparently and in accordance with regulations.
“The enforcement should balance the need to curb electricity theft with the safety and privacy of consumers,” she said.
Mr James Obiakwu, a resident at Garki appealed to AEDC to engage communities and clearly communicate inspection procedures.
Obiakwu said the engagement would help residents identify legitimate enforcement activities and prevent officials from being mistaken for individuals attempting to gain unauthorised access to their homes.
Dr Aliyu Ilias, a customer experience expert, said consumers’ privacy should be respected.
Illias though bypass and other forms of electricity theft should not be condoned AEDC rather than invade consumers privacy should develop technologies that could help them detect violators.
“They can even do this from outside the house or through other means.
“For instance, if you recall, the road safety officials can now check your vehicle’s registration number on their system to determine whether your documents have expired.
“They no longer need to stop every vehicle to check physical documents. Technology has made the process easier and less intrusive.
“I think AEDC should explore similar approaches rather than harassing people. What happens when they carry out an inspection and discover that there is no meter bypass?
“I recall an incident in my office when AEDC officials barged in and they started inspecting our prepaid meter,” he said.
According to him, when the personnel realised that he I did not bypass the meter they apologised.
“That kind of apology is not good enough. They should develop technologies that can allow them to detect meter bypasses from outside people’s homes,” he said.
“We also condemn Nigerians who bypass their meters or engage in electricity theft,” he said.
Mr Omede Odekina, Head, Brand Marketing and Corporate Communications (AEDC), told NAN that the company operated a 24-hour electricity distribution network and customer service operation.
Odekina said the company’s operational activities were not restricted to conventional daytime working hours.
He said experience showed that energy theft, meter bypass, illegal connections and other forms of electricity theft often take place under the cover of darkness.
Odekina said where there was a legitimate operational or enforcement reason to conduct an inspection at night, authorised AEDC personnel may need to carry out such activities at that time.
“They are criminal acts that have serious consequences for the electricity network; they affect the quality and reliability of supply to law-abiding customers.
“We, therefore, appeal to customers and communities to support AEDC’s efforts to identify and eliminate these activities.
“At the same time, all AEDC personnel are expected to properly identify themselves and conduct their activities professionally and in accordance with approve procedures,” Odekina said.
He said the media could play important role to create public awareness about the dangers and consequences of energy theft, vandalism and meter bypass.
“We encourage media organisations to partner with AEDC in educating the public about what constitutes energy theft, how it affects other customers and the legal consequences of such offences.
“Our message is simple: law-abiding customers have nothing to fear from legitimate inspections, regardless of the time of day.
“Where customers have concerns about the identity or conduct of field personnel, they should contact AEDC through our official customer service channels for verification and appropriate action,” he said.
Odekina said the company remained committed to listening to its customers, improving transparency and communication.
He said it also remained firm on lawful action to protect the integrity of the electricity distribution network for the benefit of all customers. (NAN)
Edited by Uche Anunne
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