By Etuka Sunday
Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr Benjamin Ezra Dikki has implored electricity consumers in the country to always pay their bills promptly to enable the new power companies remain afloat to provide efficient and constant power supply. A statement by the Head, Public Communications, BPE, Chigbo Anichebe quoted Dikki to have made the plea in Enugu when a team from the Bureau visited the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) in
continuation of its Post Privatization Monitoring activities of the newly privatized PHCN successor companies. The DG who was represented by the Acting Director, National Facilities and Agricultural Resources (NF&AR), Dr. Vincent Akpotaire noted that non- payment of electricity bills, harassment of personnel of the power companies and vandalisation of power assets posed a threat to the power sector reform.
While commending the management of EEDC for the aggressive steps so far taken to improve power supply to its consumers through upgrade of power infrastructure, the DG reiterated his call on power companies in the country to liaise with security agents to set up a Task Force to check vandalism, non-payment of bills and power theft/illegal connections.
Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) Mr. Robert Dickerman had pledged the commitment of the company to steady power supply to its customers at affordable and equitable price. Dickerman said the management of EEDC was carrying out a holistic transformation of the company including; improvement of power supply from six hours to 16 hours daily, acquisition of new transformers, replacement of moribund and vandalized transformers and cables, and acquisition of new Utility vehicles.
On the challenges facing the company, he informed the BPE team that EEDC could not meet its installed capacity due to inadequate supply from the National Grid, power theft (illegal connections), vandalism of power installations and non-payment of bills by some customers.
