Pre-paid meter: Manufacturers double production capacity to meet NERC’s deadline – Balogun

AgegePulse Magazine

Mr Kola Balogun, Chairman, Momas Electricity Meter Manufacturing Company Ltd., (MEMMCOL), Lagos says indigenous meter manufactures have commenced massive production of meters.

 This he said was to meet the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC’s) directive of May 1, rollout deadline. Prepaid Meters   Balogun disclosed this in an interview with Newsmen on Friday in Lagos.

NAN reports that on April 5, NERC issued permits to Meter Asset Providers (MAPs) to rollout new meters, not later than May 1.

According to him, manufacturers have also concluded to commence three shift production activities to actulise the NERC’s directives in meeting the May 1 deadline. “We will be producing a minimum of about 70,000 meters monthly on three shift production operations to support the May 1 actulisation.

“Manufacturers have taken bold steps to double production capacity in areas of employment capacity, raw materials and effective services to meet NERC’s May 1,” he said.

The Momas boss said that manufactures had commenced recruitment of more personnel to fill in for the three shifts, to be able to work round the clock to meet up the metering gap. The decision, Balogun said, had created more job opportunities for Nigerians. “We (meter manufacturers) have been able to take youths off the streets to start working with us.

 This will also boost the economic growth of the country. “It will also reduce the congestion of human capital at the labour market. “I want to assure electricity consumers that, the May 1 rollout of metering is visible and achievable. Consumes should look up to the timeline of May 1.” Balogun lauded the Minster of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, for the bold step he took in addressing metering gap and power challenges in the country. He also commended chairman of the NERC and its commissioners for their immense contributions toward the commencement of meter rollout in May 1.

According to him, meeting metering gap will be a new dawn in the power sector. “Meter manufacturers commended the Federal Government initiative toward ending metering gap in the country and ensuring all electricity consumers within discos were metered to abolish estimated billings.“ Balogun, however, urged government to support more indigenous meter manufacturing companies to excel, saying that MEMMCOL, for example, was an example of the local content policy of the government. “MEMMCOL is 100 per cent local content, employing young and enterprising Nigerians and equipping them adequately with requisite training locally and internationally.” Balogun said that bridging gap in metering in the country would put an end to metering challenges faced by customers. He expressed delight that MAP programme was introduced to ensure that consumers only paid for electricity they actually consumed.

Balogun said that MAP regulator rightly knew there were no free meters and, however, provided for third party to finance those meters for acquisition of such assets under terms issued by NERC.

Vanguard

Why Man stabbed Ikeja Electric’s technician over disconnection

AgegePulse Magazine

A 22-year-old man, Oluwadamilare Temenu, has reportedly stabbed a technician with the Ikeja Electric, Oluwaseyi Amao, for disconnecting power supply to his residence at No. 13 Adesanya Street, in the Mafoluku area of Oshodi, Lagos State.

PUNCH Metro gathered that Amao and his colleague, Yusuf Tunde, had acted on a disconnection order by the management of Ikeja Electric, an electricity distribution company, which had marked some flats in the building for disconnection over unpaid bills, when they were attacked.

Amao, who said he gave the residents a month’s grace to pay their outstanding bills, added that he was surprised that one of them would attack him for disconnecting power supply to his apartment despite owing over N300,000.

The 42-year-old technician said, “We were given a disconnection order to execute at No. 13 Adesanya Street, Mafoluku, Oshodi, last Thursday. The building has four flats; one flat has a prepaid meter, while the remaining three are on estimated billing; but we were given a disconnection order on the two flats with over N200,000 and N100,000 debts, respectively.

“Before that day, I had visited the house for disconnection last month and one of the residents, the one using prepaid meter, had pledged to speak with the others to pay their debts, because it was only one wire that supplies power to the four flats. If we cut off the wire, the whole flats will be affected, including the one with prepaid meter, but they still refused to pay.

“So, on the day I was instructed to execute the disconnection order, I explained to the residents, including the guy who stabbed me, that I was there the previous month and that since they had refused to clear their outstanding bills, I had been instructed to disconnect power supply to their apartment. He never argued with me, but I was surprised that he said I was looking for trouble when he saw me climbing the pole.



“All of a sudden, he went inside his flat, brought out a crate of bottles and broke two bottles. I quickly jumped down and he chased after me and stabbed me. He first stabbed me in the neck and head; to avoid more harm, I held him tightly and told my colleague, Tunde, to inform our other colleagues to bring a vehicle so that we could take him to the police station.”

The Public Relations Officer, Ikeja Electric, Felix Ofulue, who condemned the attack, said the firm would explore all necessary means to bring to justice any person or group, who took the law into their own hands by inflicting bodily harm on its officials when performing their duties.

Ofulue stated, “We strongly condemn the rising spate of attacks on our employees. It is simply unacceptable that they should be attacked while carrying out their legitimate duties.

“As a responsible organisation, we have provided multiple redress channels through which customers can express themselves. Even the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has provided a forum for dissatisfied customers to further seek resolution. So, to brutally attack our people in this manner displays total disregard for humanity, a situation that we will not take lightly.

Punch