A Lagos-based lawyer, Tope Alabi has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe the alleged incorrect billing on his law firm and its prevention from accessing electricity units of Ikeja Electric Plc.
Alabi statedthat despite having a pre-paid metre since February 2021, and not being indebted to Ikeja Electric, he was wrongfully billed the sum of N466, 484.56 as cumulative bills from March till November 2021.
The lawyer, in his January 5, 2022 letter to the agency, requested a probe of Ikeja Electric Plc systems “that roll out automatic charges;” books of accounts containing records of charges collected from customers; and mode of operations,” among others.
He said he had followed all procedures and involved the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), but had been denied access to buy electricity units.
This, he said, had resulted in his law firm being cut off from electricity for months, and his spending N6, 000 daily to fuel the chambers’ generating sets.
When contacted, Ikeja Electric Head of Corporate Communications Felix Ofulue said: “There is a process to document a complaint, especially when it has to do with wrongful billing. We have a formal Customer Care channel for query resolution. So, he should send his complaints through this channel with justification and if there are any anomalies, they will be addressed appropriately. These Channels are professionally equipped to handle such matters and provide resolution. We apologise for any inconveniences caused.”
Mr Tope stated that it was to avoid such irregular billing that he secured the pre-paid meter.
“The officers/workers of Ikeja Electric Pic denied me access to buy credit on the grounds that I am indebted to Ikeja Electric Plc as follows: April 2021 charges N127, 703.76; N9, 851.45 from March 2021 to November 2021 totalling N88, 663.05; unexplained charges of N250,117.75; totalling N466,484.56.
“Meanwhile, I cleared all outstanding bills of the sum of N116, 000 on the old meter on March 2, 2021.
“I am not indebted to Ikeja Electric Plc. The only thing the member of staff told me was that it is automatic charges by their system, and not only me alone but as many under their coverage.
“I wrote a series of letters to Ikeja Electric Plc for explanations. My letters were all ignored.
“I wrote a letter of complaint dated July 28, 2021, to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) but no feedback. It was when I served a copy of my letter dated December 17, 2021, on NERC that I discovered NERC contacted Ikeja Electric Plc and the excuse they gave NERC for keeping me off the grid or in the dark was that my pre-paid meter was bad.
“Meanwhile, they never called me nor visited my office to check the pre-paid meter.”