The management of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) on Thursday said it was losing over N1.2 billion monthly to energy theft and commercial losses in its network.
Mr Godwin Idemudia, the General Manager, Corporate Communications Department of EKEDC, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
According to Idemudia, some individuals, companies and establishment derive pleasure in stealing the company’s energy, while our members of staff work nights and days to ensure regular electricity supply to our esteem consumers.
The general manager said that some consumers who were receiving monthly electricity bills decided on their own not to pay due to flimsy excuses.
“We have discovered that many individuals, companies and establishments are involved in energy theft.
“This is why the company is having short falls that runs into billions of naira monthly.
“This is part of the economic sabotage being perpetuated by some of our consumers, which we are trying to stamp out.
“This is the reason why we have problems with revenue collections; while we work hard, others are busy stealing our energy.
“Also, we observed that commercial losses which are as a result of faulty cable and transformers are also contributing to the losses.
“The company is presently carrying out energy audit to determine those who are involved in energy theft.
“Those who are getting the supply and those that are not getting, so that we can improve on our services.
“The process of this auditing is helping the company to know those who are involved in bypassing of our meters and stealing of our energy,” he said.
Idemudia commended the Lagos State Government for coming up with a law against energy theft and harassment of electricity workers.
“The law will go a long way in helping the two distribution companies (DISCOs) operating in Lagos to tame people that tamper with our meters and harass our staff.
“We are doing a lot and we can no longer tolerate individuals, establishments and companies maltreating of our personnel who are carrying out their lawful duty.
“You cannot beat tax officer who has come to ask you for tax; so also we do not want anybody to harass our workers or tamper with our equipment or bypassing our meter.
“We will go to any length to seek redress from the existing law guiding us,” he said. (NAN)