The failure of the 11 electricity distribution companies to procure adequate prepaid meters for their customers is responsible for the scarcity of the meters, investigation by our correspondent has revealed.
The management of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria had in 2006 awarded three-year contracts to some companies to supply prepaid meters to the 11 distribution companies (the PHCN successors).
After the contracts expired, the distribution companies were directed in 2009 to take over the responsibility.
The Managing Director, PHCN, Mr. Hussein Labo, told our correspondent that “the procurement (of prepaid meters) are now handled by the successor companies. I suggest that you contact them.”
Investigation revealed that the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company had only been able to install 24,000 prepaid meters so far, against a customer population of 450,000 because of a legal dispute with Zikglasis, the contractor that was to execute the PHCN headquarters’ contract.
“The Ikeja Distribution Company has about 40,000 prepaid meters in the store, but it cannot install them because of the court case,”a top source in the company told our correspondent.
However, at the Eko Electricity Distribution Company, progress is being made as regards the installation of the prepaid meters. According to the Principal Manager, Public Affairs of the company, Mr. Godwin Idemudia, 150,000 prepaid meters have been installed so far against a customer population of over 400,000.
“We have installed 15,000 this year and we are still in the process of installing another 10,000 before the year ends,” he said.
The spokesman of Lysa Consortium, the company that executed the three-year PHCN headquarters’ contract for the Eko Elecricity Distribution Company,Mr. Moses Ajayi, said Lysa was able to install 60,000 prepaid meters in three years.
Investigation showed that after the three-year contract expired, the management of the Eko Electricity Distribution Company had continued to procure the prepaid meters for customers, who had paid, while Lysa had been installing them.
At the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, our correspondent gathered that much had not happened in terms of procurement of prepaid meters since the three-year contract expired.
“We have thousands of customers, who have paid but are still waiting to get the meters,” a source in the company said.
Our correspondent gathered that, nationwide, most customers were still using analogue meters.
source:http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201011101292881
No comments:
Post a Comment