NERC; Power drops below 2,800mw

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission
(NERC) has said that power supply through the
national grid which peaked to 5000mw in past
two weeks had dropped below 2,800mw due to
vandalism. Dr. Anthony Akah, the Acting Chief
Executive Officer of the commission disclosed this
while signing a Memorandum of Understanding
with the Consumer Protection Council (CPC).
A statement issued on the ceremony by Dr.
Usman Abba- Arabi, Head, Public Affairs
Department of NERC was made available to
newsmenon Wednesday in Abuja. In the
statement, Akah expressed dissatisfaction and
worries over the spate of vandalism in the power
sector. It stated that the NERC boss enjoined the
public and the CPC to collaborate with
Distribution Companies (DISCOs) and security
agencies to safeguard electrical installations.
The statement also said that the NERC would
soon compel the DISCOs to publish their meter
deployment schedules. It added that the
publication would ensure adherence to the meter
roll out plan contained in the performance
agreement signed with government by the utility
firms.
``Such publication will make unmetered
customers to be aware of the estimated period
they have to wait before they can be metered,’’
it stated It stated that NERC had issued warning
to the DISCOs against wrongful estimated
billings and the acts of compelling customers to
buy, install and repair transformers and poles.
The statement said the MoU between, NERC and
CPC was part of concerted efforts to reduce the
incidence of estimated billing
completely. According to the statement, the
Director General of CPC, Mrs. Modupe Atoki,
commended NERC for the long standing
relationship between the two agencies. Atoki,
according to the statement, expressed CPC’s
cooperation and renewed effort to protect
electricity consumers from abuse of their rights.