Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) says it has lost over N1.2 billion of its assets and electrical installations to vandalism in 2022.

Godwin Idemudia, the general manager, corporate communications, EKEDC, said this in an interview on Tuesday in Lagos.

“We have witnessed a series of incidents, and from our estimate, we have lost about N1.2 billion in 2022 alone to theft of underground armoured cables that are resold in the black market,” he said.

Mr Idemudia said this against the backdrop of frequent vandalism recorded on its network despite the campaign against it.

He said vandalism was posing a serious threat to its distribution infrastructure, especially electricity cables.

“These cases of vandalism have contributed in no small measure to prolonged outages in our network, leading to disruptions of many businesses, maiming/injury, and loss of lives, particularly of innocent and unsuspecting members of the public.

“Eko Disco’s operations are carried out only by our authorised staff and operatives who can be easily identified with the EKEDC branded coveralls and jackets,” he said.

He, therefore, called on customers, security agencies, media and the public to be vigilant and assist in the fight against vandalism on the company’s network.

He appealed to the public to report shady deals or any person(s) posing as staff of Eko Disco to the security agencies or contact the company through its various whistleblower channels.

“These challenges have adversely affected the supply of power to our customers,” he said.

On pre-paid meters, Mr Idemudia said over 20,000 customers had keyed into the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme since it started in May.

He said the company had concluded the training of all Eko field representatives to enable them to spot cases of meter bypass easily.

“Anyone caught bye-passing meters will be dealt with to the full extent of the law. Customers are encouraged to visit our district offices to key into a flexible payment plan,” he said.

On buying of transformers by the community, Mr Idemudia said, “We do not encourage communities to buy materials in any form or kind; if the customer wishes to support our endeavours, we only ask that such materials be donated to the company.

“For communities that are not paying bills, it becomes difficult to energise them.”

The EKEDC spokesman, however, assured customers across the network of the company’s commitment to hitch-free and stable services during the yuletide season.

“Measures have been put in place to ensure network stability and smooth operation during the holidays.” 

(NAN)