Energy theft: Discos plan to adopt whistle-blowing policy

The Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors has said that it may adopt a whistle-blowing policy as part of efforts to address energy theft in the country.

It said that the increasing rate of energy theft in the country had made it difficult for electricity distribution companies to pay for what they received from the generation companies.

The Executive Director, ANED, Mr. Sunday Oduntan, disclosed this during an energy stakeholders’ town hall meeting held in Benin, the Edo State capital, on Monday.

Oduntan lamented that the state was the most culpable among its counterparts across the country.

He said, “People steal energy in Edo State more than any other state. That, to me, is not a good thing for Edo State. So, even when people talk about meters, we give you meters and you bypass it and those things cost a lot of money.

“We have pictures and videos of premises and even people who are leaders, civil rights activists, stealing energy and saying that it was a form of protest. To me, that is not a form of protest; it is criminality.”

Oduntan, however, stated that the association was of the view that a whistle-blowing policy would assist the power consumers to expose the perpetrators of energy theft and get value for the services of the firms.

He said, “We are working towards that (whistle-blowing policy). We believe that if you help us know what is going on in your neighbourhood, it will not only help us, it will also help you, in terms of what you pay.

“The truth is that if you do not let us know, you are paying for one thief in your neighbourhood.”

Also speaking, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Benin Electricity Distribution Company, Mrs. Funke Osibodu, explained that one of the challenges facing the Discos was the perception of many consumers that power supply was a social amenity being provided by the government despite the privatisation of the sector.

Osibodu, who was represented by the Executive Director, Commercial, BEDC, Mr. Abu Ejoor, gave an assurance that the firm would continue to provide quality services, even as it worked towards filling the 750,000 metering gap.

On his part, the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Dr. Justin Okonoboh, noted that 70 per cent of the problems facing the electricity distribution company could be addressed with adequate metering and a corresponding billing system.

Okonoboh said, “If it (BEDC) can provide meters for every home, it will be able to get the money for what it sells out. If we too get the right billings for what we get from the company, that will solve more than 70 per cent of the problem.

“If they can do that, while we support the generation companies to have new machines to generate electricity, I think we will be out of this situation.”

He added, “But there is also the political aspect. There are a lot of independent power plants around; they have not been able to come and release what they generate because of some politics between the BEDC and them.

“If that is sorted out, the power situation in this country will take a better shape.”