By Etuka Sunday
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has ordered the Electricity Distribution Companies to work towards speedy dispensation of complaints from customers before they get to the NERC forum office.
A statement by the Head, Public Affairs Department, Dr. Usman Abba Arabi quoted the Chairman/CEO of NERC Dr. Sam Amadi to have given the order during the inauguration of members of three forum offices, namely, Benin, Jos, and Yola.
He said that the forum will serve as an appellate court, to dispense with complaints that may not have received satisfactory outcomes by the Customer Care Unit (CCU) of the distribution companies.
“The structure of the forum members reflects fairness and knowledge, made up of people who will feel the pulse of the people because they live among them,”Amadi said.
Each forum has five members with representatives from the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), the Consumer Protection Council (CPC), and the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE).
He said that it is the prerogative of the forum to protect electricity customers, pointing out that the forum must be seen to be impartial and neutral as this will affect their judgement and provide transparency to the forum and by extension to the Commission”.
“We have legal backing required to enforce the decisions of the forum”.
The inaugurated forum members and the soon to be commissioned forum offices of Benin, Jos and Yola will bring the number of NERC forum offices to eleven.
Forum offices already existing include the Abuja, Eko and Ikeja forum offices. The others are Enugu, Port-Harcourt, Kano, Kaduna and Ibadan forum offices.
