NAN-HE-20
Energy
By Tukur Muntari
Kano, March 6, 2018 (NAN) Dr Jamilu Gwamna, the Managing Director of Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) has called on the National Assembly to enact a law to prevent rampant cases of energy theft and meter tempering in the country.
He made the call when he received members of the the House of Representatives Committee on privitisation and commercialisation who visited the company in Kano on Tuesday.
“Our prayer to you when you return is that you should tackle energy theft, meter tampering and other associated crimes through a holistic legal framework to improve the sector liquidity,”he said.
According to him, the measure was necessary in order to enable the company and other Discos to have a favourable market and generate adequate revenue to enable the company remain in the business.
“Energy theft is a serious issue that has to be tackled to enable us generate revenue for the survival of the company and for us to remain afloat,” Gwamna said.
He said the issue of energy theft needed a holistic approach by all stakeholders to prosecute offenders and more importantly ensure legal and government backing for its success.
“Most of the government agencies do not pay their bills as and when due and this is crippling our business.
He noted that debt recovery from the ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) was most challenging issue facing the company.
He advised the Federal Government to privatise all other power related companies in order to check corruption stressing that electricity privitisation is one of the largest privitisation in the country.
In his remarks, the Deputy Chairman of the committee, Mr Mutiu Shodimu said the committee was in Kano to interact with the management of the company with a view to finding a lasting solution to the problems bedeviling the company .
“We have to bring your problems to the fore with a view to profering solutions,”he said.
NAN reports that the committee had earlier inspected the burnt 150MVA transformer at Kumbotso Transmission station where the officials of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) promised that the transformer would be replaced with a new one in the next two weeks.
The committee had also inspected the Kofar Dan’Agundi transmission station where a new 60MVA transformer was being installed following a fire outbreak that destroyed the old transformer at the station in December 2017. (NAN)
MTM/YAZ
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