Ikeja Electric Resumes Disconnection, Urges Customers to Pay Bills

AgegePulse Magazine

The suspension earlier placed on disconnection of power supply of its customers has been lifted by Ikeja Electric.

On April 1, 2020, Business Post reported that Ikeja Electric announced that it would not be disconnecting electricity of non-paying customers within its franchise network during the 2-week stay-at-home period enforced by federal government to curb the spread of coronavirus.

The move, according to the Acting CEO of Ikeja Electric, Ms Folake Soetan, was to ensure that “our customers enjoy steady and quality supply throughout this difficult period and beyond. We recognize the fact that electricity supply is critical to our ability to stay safe, clean and indoors.”

Last Monday, President Muhammadu Buhari announced that from May 4, 2020, there would be an ease in the 5-week lockdown in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun States.

In a notice today, Ikeja Electric said following the development, it was lifting the suspension on disconnection activities, urging energy consumers to pay their bills.

The electricity distribution firm said the appeal became necessary because of its need to meet some obligations to the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).

“As we begin partial lockdown, we use this medium to inform our customers of the need to start paying their bills to avoid power cuts as we have also lifted the suspension of disconnection activities.

“The request is necessitated by the need to meet our obligations to the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), as paying your bills will enable us to meet our financial obligation to the market operators and this will ensure that the country continues to generate power supply,” Ikeja Electric said.

While thanking its customers for their “continued understanding and allowing us to serve you,” the company appealed to consumers to “continue to adhere to all the safety rules of personal hygiene and social distancing.”

Ikeja Electric expressed hope that business activities will gradually return to normal with the partial lifting of the lockdown order by the federal government.

It was learnt that throughout the period of the lockdown, Ikeja Electric focused on increasing supply to its customers.

Business post

#COVID-19: Pay relief funds to households through BVN, Tinubu tells FG

AgegePulse Magazine

National Leader of All Progressives Congress , Bola Tinubu , has urged the Federal Government to make cash payments to households through Bank Verification Numbers to cushion the effects of COVID - 19 pandemic on Nigerians .

Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State , gave the advice in a statement issued in Lagos on Wednesday .

He said payments could be made quickly by using the BVN of prospective recipients to make direct deposits into individual bank accounts.

The APC leader said the use of BVN would also be safer and not lead to violence and crime that might follow physical cash transfers .

Tinubu said this would encourage those without bank accounts to establish such accounts, adding that it would further bring millions of people into formal banking .

“The money-less family still needs food , water , shelter and, to a lesser degree , utilities . In a compassionate society, they should not be made to do without .

“Most families need relief . If relief is not forthcoming , these families risk hunger and its attendant suffering and woes,” Tinubu said .

He said the palliative measures would blunt hunger, maintain aggregate demand in the domestic economy and help sustain private -sector markets to the extent possible .

Tinubu explained that such payments could be done in either one or in a combination of three ways .

He said , “First , we can designate a stipend for every household . The amount should be enough to pay for the monthly needs of an ‘ average’ household for food and other basics .

“While this may somewhat penalise larger families , perfection cannot be had at this time .

“Second , the stipends could be given as a form of emergency unemployment insurance to those who can prove they were relieved of employment due to the crisis.

“This will be more targeted at the actual victims of the crisis but harder to administer . This stipend will also have to be extended to owners of small and medium - sized businesses.

“Third , the government can render some form of payroll support to companies and businesses that seek to retain workers albeit they may not be fully employed .

“The stipend can help companies stay in operation while maintaining workers on their payroll. By maintaining workers , the company can more swiftly return to full operation when normalcy returns. ”

Tinubu said payment of these stipends would require hiring additional government workers to augment the existing bureaucracies to implement that programme .

According to him, this administrative requirement will help boost employment and aggregate consumer demand .

He said that activating Trader - moni and other programmes would help many small -scale traders but not the average wage earner who just lost his job .

NAN