For a second time in the last 365 days, the Eko Electricity Distribution Company held an awareness campaign on energy theft in Festac Town to sensitize residents of the Festac Town, other community associations and massive consumers of energy from the company’s districts within Lagos West including Festac, Agbara, Ojo, Okomaiko, Ijankin, etc, on the dangers of the criminal act of the energy theft committed by some energy consumers.
This year’s edition held in the conference hall of the Benny Hotel at the first avenue area of Festac Town in Lagos. Recall that the electricity company invited stakeholders for the initial edition of the awareness campaign last year which held at the Rock View Hotel at 23 road in Festac Town.
EKEDC seized the awareness programme to read the riot acts to the energy vandals and thieves by explaining the various legal implications of involving in energy theft such as paying below the estimated bills, non compliance with payment and stealing of electricity properties and cables.
Mrs Lilian Obiakor, Festac EKEDC Business Manager, welcomed residents from various districts to the town hall meeting and promised all that the awareness programme would be interactive while charging them to note all that would be said at the meeting and urged them to transmit the messages discussed at the meeting to their various residents in their districts.
Mr Aniekan Akpabio, a top official of EKEDC from Marina Headquarters in his address, informed members that non compliance with payment of electricity bills is an act of energy theft. He revealed that the consumers complaining mostly are people on estimated billings and concluded that energy theft kills.
The legal representative of EKEDC, Mr Michael Udoji, revealed to energy consumers present at the meeting by giving a graphic background history of the electricity Acts of 1982,1983, 1999 and 2023 respectively on the laws backing criminalization of energy theft and other appropriate punishments or sanctions for the offenders which are applicable in Nigeria, UK and other continents.
According to Udoji, Electricity theft was first criminalized in Nigeria in 1983 when some energy culprits were imprisoned. The electricity act of 2023 proposed three years imprisonment for energy thieves.
The meeting stressed further that energy consumers are expected to pay the sum of N50,000 as penalty for reconnection aside the value of the electricity stolen which is applicable to the Single Phase Customers while the Double Phase Customers are expected to pay the sum of N100,000 for reconnection, aside the value of the electricity stolen.
Udoji buttressed the point of Mr Aniekan Akpabio, saying, the value of electricity stolen by someone in a locality is being paid for by another person elsewhere.
Also at the meeting, Mr Sodiq Saliu, a member of the technical department of EKEDC explained the technical aspect of energy theft by pointing out that the act of jumping the meter for direct connection is not only hazardous but retrogressive in efficient energy supply to consumers.
Mr Sadiq further stressed that the energy theft is always collaborative and it will need a collective responsibility of energy users to always ‘say something’ when they ‘see something’ to safeguard the safety of all.
From the area of audit and compliance, Mr Ayodele Ajayi, a top management staff of the EKEDC appealed to all energy consumers to take individual strategies on mitigation against energy theft because if steps are not taken, it will affect their finances in one way or the other.
He also talked about the power of oneness, imploring community leaders to cultivate a good culture of ethical behaviors, especially towards energy consumption and a high standard of personal integrity while informing members of the public to always feel free to report any ugly information through using EKEDC’s information portal, web lines, e-mails, phone numbers and by dropping any available information inside the whistle blowers boxes stationed in any of their offices.
The Whistle blower line: 08000033333.
Meanwhile, the Electricity Committee members represented the Festac Town Residents Association at the town hall meeting, led by Mr Soji Abifarin, the Chairman of the Electricity Committee of the Association.
In a feedback mechanism, representatives of the Festac Town Residents Association present at the awareness campaign responded to the lectures given by EKEDC, asking them if any erring member of their staff is equivalently binded by the Acts conferring punishments on energy theft offenders.
In an affirmative response, EKEDC management members present at the meeting as energy suppliers, assured all consumers that there is no sacred cow when it comes to criminalization of energy theft. They gave copious illustrations of members of the EKEDC staff whose jobs have been terminated and eventually jailed, having been found culpable of committing an act in energy theft.