The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has advised distribution companies to design a quick response mechanism to address customers’ complaints within their networks.

Adamu Abdullah, FCCPC’s acting executive chairman, gave the advice on Saturday in Lagos at the end of a four-day one-stop-shop for addressing billing, metering, transformer, connection, disconnection, customer service and other electricity consumer issues in Ikeja Disco coverage areas.

FCCPC organised the forum.

Mr Abdullah said the highest number of complaints received by the commission was on the power sector, which created more concerns about calling for the forum.

He said the forum is an intervention to bring all stakeholders together to listen to and resolve consumers’ complaints.

The executive chairman added that FCCPC would also get commitment from DisCos on a time frame within which such complaints have to be resolved.

“The major complaints received from all over the country are overbilling, community transformer problems, disregard of metering, and regulations from NERC with respect to disconnection, energy tapping, and tariff band classification.

“Other issues also had to do with account reconciliation, adjustment bottlenecks, disconnection without notice, and billing before connecting the billed property with electricity,” he said.

The FCCPC boss, however, advised DisCos to be more forthcoming in addressing customers’ complaints quickly, adding, “This is not our core competence.”

“We appeal to the complainants not to take the law into their own hands but ensure that they lodge their complaints in the right manner,” he added.

In his remarks, Salami Afeez, area inspecting engineer, Ikeja Network, NEMSA, assured FCCPC of the agency’s continued collaboration with the commission in delivering on its mandate.

Mr Salami also said the agency had always and would continue to go around Ikeja Disco’s network to monitor the defects in its network.

Also, Chukwunonso Okwuosah, the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) representative, commended FCCPC for putting the customers’ complaints forum together.

“We are constantly appealing to customers to come with an open mind and understand that Ikeja Electric will act as guided by the regulation,” he stated.

Jolaoluwa Adewale, a representative of Ikeja Electric, also thanked customers for their patience and cooperation.

“We have noted your complaints and feedback and will continue to work hard to resolve them,” he said.

A customer, Anthony Iteghete, said, “We are very happy and pleased to see this kind of forum.

“We wish it would go around the nation so we can have time to ask them questions and tell them our needs.”

(NAN)