The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) says it will henceforth sanction Distribution Companies (DisCos) and other offenders who fail to comply with extant rules and regulations in the electricity industry.

Babatunde Irukera, the executive vice-chairman of the commission, disclosed this at the consumer complaint resolution platform organised by FCCPC on Wednesday in Nasarawa State.

”The FCCPC has been working with NERC, Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) and other stakeholders to resolve salient consumer issues in the industry.

”The council on its part has resolved to henceforth punish offenders who fail to comply with extant rules and regulations in the electricity industry,” he said.

Mr Irukera, represented by Adamu Abdullahi, the executive commissioner, operations of the commission, said that non-compliance of DisCos with the regulations of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) is a bane in the industry.

He said non-adherence to NERC’s standards of performance, orders and codes by DisCos was also a problem in the sector.

He said that electricity-related issues ranging from poor service delivery in the industry were the highest category of consumer complaints received by the commission.

Mr Irukera listed some of the complaints, including over-billing, metering, transformer issues, connection, illegal and mass disconnections, and poor customer service.

He urged DisCos to show more commitment to compliance with NERC’s regulations.

Zubair Babatunde, the assistant general manager, consumer education of NERC, said that buying transformers was not the responsibility of electricity consumers.

(NAN)