The management of Eko Electricity Distribution Company has urged customers on Band A to key into the ongoing free prepaid meters under the Meter Acquisition Fund (MAF) scheme to address estimated billing.

The acting Chief Executive Officer of EKEDC, Rekhiat Momoh, disclosed this at the Mushin Customers Consultative Forum on Thursday in Lagos.

The customers at the forum were drawn from various areas in Lagos.

They include Mushin, Papa Ajao, Mushin, Idi Araba, Ilasamaja, Odi-Olowo, Itire, Tejuosho, Yaba, Lawanson, Ijesha, Itire, and Ishaga.

Ms Momoh, represented by the Chief Commercial Officer, EKEDC, Samuel Edoho, reiterated the company’s commitment to addressing customer concerns and enhancing service delivery in Mushin regions.

She said that the forum provided a platform for customers to voice their issues and allowed EKEDC to gather valuable feedback for service improvement.

Ms Momoh noted that in spite of the challenging economic climate, the company remained dedicated to providing quality service.

She said, “Currently, EKEDC is focused on achieving 100 per cent metering for its customers.’’

She emphasised the need for collaboration with community development associations to address energy theft.

She said that about 17,400 prepaid meters would be deployed to Band A customers under its franchise areas.

She acknowledged that the free meters were being organised by the company to fast-track meter installation, urging customers who had not registered to do so.

Ms Momoh said that the free prepaid meters to Band A were part of the continuous effort to bridge the metering gap in Nigeria under the Meter Acquisition Fund scheme.

“It also involved the replacement of obsolete meters at no cost to the Band A customers, while unmetered Band A customers will be metered free of charge,” she added.

The EKEDC boss said that the scheme aims to replace faulty meters and accelerate the migration of postpaid customers to prepaid.

She expressed the company’s readiness and commitment to metering eligible customers within the 60-day timeline of the project.

Ms Momoh also clarified that the MAF scheme was not just for Band A customers and that the first tranche was solely for Band A customers.

She lauded the intervention of the federal government in bridging the metering gap and improving the performance of the entire power sector.

According to her, the management has continually embarked several training sessions for staff to carry out the mandate of effectively rendering satisfaction to the company’s numerous customers.

Chairman of the Mushin Customers Consultative Forum, Lawal Afees, lauded the company’s commitment and dedication toward effective service delivery.

Mr Afees urged EKEDC management to invest more in the enlightenment campaign for conformity among franchise areas, appealing to community development association leaders to assist in protecting EKEDC’s infrastructure and equipment.

He expressed concerns about inadequate metering and the reliance on estimated billing, noting that it undermines the rationale for privatising the power sector.

To address these issues, Mr Afees suggested establishing a task force comprising EKEDC officials and security operatives to monitor power supply conditions and coordinate efforts against vandalism and energy theft.

The CDA Chairman in Surulere, Umar Mohammed, commended EKEDC on the customers’ interaction forum to enable collective discussions and problem solving.

Mr Mohammed said that the forum had enabled many communities to resolve all lingering issues as regards electricity.

He said that the resolution reached will be communicated to various communities, especially on how to support the EKEDC campaign.

Mr Mohammed commended EKEDC’s prompt response to faults, urging customers to support the protection of EKEDC’s facilities.

He appealed to EKEDC management to engage workers in training to improve services and eliminate ad hoc workers from the system.

(NAN)