Our correspondent reports that Mr Adeoye Fadeyibi, Managing Director, EKEDC, flagged off the programme at the Orile/Ijora Districts in Surulere area of Lagos State.

Fadeyibi said that free single and three phase meters would be installed for 100, 000 EKEDC customers in the first phase of the NMMP initiated by the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

According to him, the move is to bridge the metering gap in the country which stands at 59.6 per cent.

He said the programme was being supported by the Lagos State Government and meter manufacturers, Mojec Asset Management Company Limited and Momas Electricity Meters Manufacturing Company Limited.

Fadeyibi said: “The mass metering programme is a welcome development and a boost to the deepening of the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).

“The programme couldn’t have come at a better time than now given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses and household income.

“We are happy for the initiative and acknowledge government’s renewed desire to improve the power supply and bridge the metering gap.

“Electricity as we all know is an important essential need of any society and we all have acknowledged the menace of the estimated billing both on the customers and even us as a business.

“It is my belief that with this mass metering initiative we can begin to say we are on a path to better days ahead.

“In the next 18 to 24 months, over six million meters will be distributed across households in the country and for us at Eko, we will be rolling out over 100,000 meters in the next few weeks in the first phase of the programme.’’

He said that all hands must be on deck to support the industry in stamping out energy theft through meter tampering and free riders.

Fadeyibi said the EKEDC would continue to strive to render better services to customers under its operational network and solicited for their support in actualising the objective.

Also, Mr Olalere Odusote, Lagos State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, said the government has been working with the DisCos to ensure that the whole of Lagos was metered by the end of the current administration.

Odusote, however, enjoined the people to pay for energy consumed, noting that this would prevent shortfall in the NESI for the benefit of all stakeholders.

On her part, Ms Chantelle Abdul, Managing Director, Mojec Asset Management Company Limited, said the programme would create jobs for Nigerian youths and keep them off the street.

Two community leaders who spoke, Mr Gabriel Omotosho and Mr Awila Banigo, commended the government and EKEDC for initiating the programme.

According to them, the initiative will put an end to disputes caused by estimated billings.

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Mrs Folake Soetan, Acting Chief Executive Officer of IE, made this known at the flagging off of the programme in Ikeja.

Soetan said that the programme was part of the Federal Government’s effort to further bridge the country’s metering gap, and also cushion the effect of the Service Reflective Tariff on electricity consumers in Nigeria.

She said: “In line with this programme, IE is committed to driving the roll out through a series of one-day metering initiative across different locations in its network.

“These metering initiative is designed to ensure a seamless metering process that allows customers to register and be metered on the same day after following due process.

“Ikeja Electric is rolling out over 106,000 prepaid meters to customers across its six Business Units – Ikeja, Abule-Egba, Akowonjo, Oshodi, Ikorodu and Shomolu.”

Soetan said that this was for the first phase of the programme, which would run till the end of 2020.

According to her, beneficiaries of this programme, which will cut across all locations in IE network, will not be required to pay upfront for the installation of meters.

Soetan said rather, the modalities of cost recovery for the meters would be clearly defined and communicated to the beneficiaries.

“The primary objective of the NMMP is to increase the metering rate in the country and close the gap of unmetered customers.

“It is also expected that it will assist in reducing collection losses, while at the same time, increasing financial flows to achieve 100 per cent market remittance obligation of the DisCos.

“Part of the objectives also include: the elimination of arbitrary estimated billing, improving network monitoring capability and provision of data for market administration and investment decision-making,” she said.

Soetan said apart from its jobs creation potential in the meter value chain, the programme would increase local meter manufacturing, assembly and deployment capacity, all in support of the Nigeria’s economic recovery plan.

She reiterated the DisCos’ commitment to bridging the metering gap by metering all its customers to ensure an efficiently managed electricity supply industry that meets the yearnings of Nigerians.

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Our correspondent reports that banks in Abakaliki closed for business on Monday, when the protest assumed a violent dimension, with the torching of private and public property.

Our correspondent who visited some automated teller machines (ATMs) in the city, reports that they were not dispensing cash, an indication that they were not loaded with cash.

It was learnt that banks decided not to open to public to avoid being attacked by hoodlums.

The protesters razed down the Central Police Station, Onuebonyi and destroyed public buildings as well as private and public vehicles in the city.

It was also reported that major roads in Abakaliki were on Tuesday barricaded by security operatives deployed to strategic locations in the city to help bring the situation under control.

Meanwhile, a cross-section of the residents has decried the alleged hijack of the otherwise peaceful EndSARS protest by suspected hoodlums.

Speaking in separate interviews they called on the security agencies to take immediate steps to bring the crisis to an end.

A bank customer, Mrs Grace Okome, said that the protest had lost its essence and now posed serious threat to the nation’s economy and security.

“Look at how we are suffering. Even in your street, you are not safe. Crime is now on the increase.

“The worse now is that there is no money because the banks are not working and one cannot withdraw money through the ATMs.

“The violent protest has done more evil than good to the people. Everybody is frustrated.

“Even when you have the money, it’s still difficult to buy anything because of the high cost of commodities in the market,” Okome said.

Also, Mr Chimaobi Okafor, regretted that he could not withdraw money to meet his needs because the ATMs were unable to dispense cash.

“I have visited four to five banks but none is working,” he said.

“The protesters are heartless. How can they be destroying private and public property in the name of protest.

“Positive change does not come in an atmosphere of chaos and disorder.

“See how people are suffering. From curfew to where we are now, no access to our own money in the bank.

“Please, they should end the protest to move the state and country forward. The protest has disrupted governance at all levels,” Okafor said.

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Our correspondent who visited few banks around Ikotun-Egbe, Ejigbo-Isolo and Okota axis of Lagos reports that the crowds at those facilities were enormous.

That made it difficult for people to maintain the two meters physical distancing as directed by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

The customers also violated NCDC’s guidelines on mass gathering of not more than 20 people outside of a workplace.

At the Ikotun branches of Zenith Bank, Guarantee Trust Bank and Firstbank of Nigeria, the queues waiting to gain entrance into the banking halls were uncontrollable.

Customers took turns to get into the premises where they were administered hand sanitisers and their temperature checked before they were allowed entry into the banking halls.

Mrs Jane Akume, a trader, who complained about the time she had wasted waiting to get into her bank, prayed that she would be attended to before the bank closed.

She said: “I have been here since 9am. Before I even got here there were no fewer than 40 people on ground.

“This is about 1pm and I hear that banks will close by 2pm. I hope and I pray that my time here is not wasted and that I will be attended to before the closing time,” she said.

Mrs Patience Benedict, a Civil Servant, complained of the slow pace of bankers in attending to customers.

However, she applauded the safety measures put in place by the deposit organisations.

She said: “Aside from that they are slow in attending to people I like the fact that they have put safety tools in place.”

“We are called in and attended to in batches, and as you approach the gate your temperature is checked and you are shown sanitisers on the wall for you to use before getting in.

“Right in there, you are strictly asked to keep two meters distance from another customer. This is very impressive,” she said.

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MTN’s Public Relations and Protocol Manager, Mr Funso Aina, said in a statement on Friday in Lagos that the company had not increased prices of recharge cards

“MTN Nigeria hereby use this medium to inform all its subscribers that it has not increased the prices of recharge cards.

“The cost of recharge cards remain the face value stated on the physical vouchers.

“Any increment from any quarters across the country on our recharge cards is without our knowledge,” Aina said.

He said that the telecommunications provider had taken quick steps to ensure compliance on sales of its recharge cards at the stated face value by its trade partners and retailers.

“While we are working assiduously to resolve claims of illegal increases, we apologise to our customers for any inconvenience this might have caused.

“Alternatively, we advise our customers to explore other options of purchasing airtime such as MTN Virtual Top Up (VTU), Diamond Yello Account (DYA) or MTN Auto Top-up,” AINA said.

Our correspondent reports that the service provider has been sending Short Messaging Service (SMS) to its customers on the purported increase on prices of recharge cards.

It reads: ‘Dear customer, please do not agree to pay more than the amount that is printed on any MTN recharge card. Remember – what you see is what you pay!’.

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