EEDC begs Anambra residents to respect power right of way, decries energy theft

The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), has called on its customers and residents in Anambra to steer clear of power lines and other electricity right of way for their own safety.

Mr Emeka Ezeh, Head of Corporate Communications of the company, made the call during an engagement session with customers in Awka.

“We are worried by vandalism of installation and the abuse of power right of way, though we are not the enforcers, we call on the government to save residents from the danger by ensuring that there are no activities around 5.5 metres on both sides of the 33 and 11 KV lines,” he said.

Ezeh said energy theft and vandalism of installation were other operational challenges the EEDC was facing and called on customers to help the business serve them better by tackling the challenges.

He said the engagement session was meant to interact with the company’s customers in the area for feedback with a view to identifying their challenges and addressing them for better service delivery.

He said about 50,000 metres were needed to close the metering gap and called on customers to take advantage of the ongoing process where they could acquire metres and pay for them over a period of time.

He said the company was supplying power to the best of its ability within the limit of allocation it received from the generation companies.

He said the delay in the supply of metres was caused by variety of factors, including availability, technology, inadequacy of installation areas and non separation of load wire.

“The Customer Engagement Session is part of our strategy to relate with our customers, feel their pulse, update them with development in the network and also let them know where we need their assistance.

“In Anambra, we estimate that 50,000 metres are needed to bridge the gap and we signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the state government, valued at about N37 billion, and with we expect that our services will be enhanced.

“We discourage energy theft because about 40 per cent of revenue is lost to theft and unpaid debt every month,” he said.

A customer, Chief Anizonwu, complained about the delay in metering process but commended EEDC for delivering a relatively better service to its customers.

Anizonwu, a Chartered Accountant, condemned energy theft and urged customers to ensure they returned value for the services they enjoyed for improved services.

“You have to pay for the service you enjoy to be able to criticise the company, not paying is a form of economic sabotage, it should be discouraged,” he said.

Mr Osita Obi, convener of Recover Nigeria Project, a civil rights group, said there had been a significant improvement in power supply by EEDC.

Obi urged the company to ensure they address the genuine concerns of customers while thanking the company for interfacing with their customers.