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Tag: Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC)

  • AEDC begins clean-up of poorly wired communities in FCT

    AEDC begins clean-up of poorly wired communities in FCT

    The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company ( AEDC ) said  it would  begin the clean-up of poorly wired communities, beginning with Gishiri village in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Oct.  9.

    A statement by Ahmed Shekarau, Head of Public Relations and Media of AEDC issued  in Abuja on Sunday,  disclosed that the exercise would be subsequently  extended  to Tudun Wada and Dape in Lugbe and Life Camp areas of the territory.

    Shekarau said that the exercise was in line with AEDC’s  determination to create an accident-free electricity service atmosphere in its franchise areas of  Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger states and the FCT.

    He said the work in Gishiri community would commence with the strategic removal of substandard electrical poles and their replacement with standard concrete ones.

    He, however, said that the Gishiri network sanitisation would result in intermittent disruption of power supply in some parts of the community at some periods.

    “Against this backdrop, therefore, we are appealing for the patience and understanding of our affected customers, just as we solicit their cooperation with members of the teams appointed to carry out this operation,” the AEDC Spokesman said.

    He said the exercise was  intended to ensure safe delivery of power to customers and improve  quality of supply.

    He said the management of the company was determined to stop all incidents that could lead to injuries or death in the area, while it strives to improve service delivery to customers.

    NAN

  • Electrocution: AEDC constitutes panel on death of two persons in Niger

    Electrocution: AEDC constitutes panel on death of two persons in Niger

    The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has set up a six-man investigative team to unravel the immediate and remote causes of electrocution of two persons in Angwan Biri in Niger.

    Mr Ahmed Shekarau, AEDC’s Head, Public Relations and Media, said in a statement  on Tuesday  that the  accident  occurred on July 29.

    Shekarau said the preliminary report on the incident revealed that the binding wire of an 11Kv line got loose due to a windy condition and came into contact with the 415V red phase cable.

    This, Shekarau said, resulted in high voltage that was alleged to have caused  the unfortunate death of two people, while four others sustained injuries.

    He said that the panel had the mandate to establish the root causes of the incident.

    According to Shekarau, the panel has two weeks to submit its report.

    The Director, Risk and Compliance of AEDC, Mr Collins Chabuka, said insinuation that 49 houses were affected in the incident was false.

    He advised  the  public and the media  to be cautious  of  fake information.

    Chabuka said the decision of the company to set up a probe was part of its internal incident reporting, investigation procedure guidelines and industry best practice.

    “It is AEDC’s internal health and safety policy requirements that all accidents are investigated by independent internal persons with extensive industry background, competence and knowledge.”

    He said that the purpose of the investigation was  to highlight the shortcomings that might have led to the incident and recommend remedial measures to prevent a recurrence.

    Chabuka described the incident as most unfortunate, adding that the company had complied with regulatory requirements by officially notifying the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Nigeria Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) of the accident.

    The AEDC director, who commiserated with the family of the deceased and other members of the Angwan Biri community, also expressed AEDC’s sympathy to the injured persons.

    According to him, AEDC is taking over the treatment of one of the  victims who is still receiving treatment in the hospital, following the discharge of other three affected  persons .

    The panel is being chaired by Mr Mohammed Sule, a Nigerian Electricity Industry professional with over 26 years of experience in Distribution Network Operations, Maintenance and Protection System.

    AEDC had constituted similar panels to unravel the remote causes of electrical accidents in Nyanya, Mapape, among others in its franchise areas where it had experienced electrical accidents

     

  • NSCDC, DISCOs, partner to combat vandalism of electrical installations

    NSCDC, DISCOs, partner to combat vandalism of electrical installations

    The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs) are collaborating to fight vandalism of electricity installations in the country.

    The Spokesperson of the Corps, Mr Emmanuel Okeh, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

    “We are working closely with the Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs) to ensure adequate protection for these critical assets to avoid vandalism by unscrupulous elements,’’ Okeh said.

    He also said that the Corps had stepped up surveillance around electricity installations in the country to stem the tide of vandalism of the critical national asset.

    He said the Commandant-General of the Corps, Abdullahi Muhammadu, had directed all State Commands and the Arms Squad to work closely with the various Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs) to ensure adequate protection for the facilities.

    He said that the NSCDC had also intensified its enlightenment campaign in the media to dissuade members of the public from engaging in such “criminal act and economic sabotage’’.

    Okeh said that the Corps had recently arrested and paraded some vandals caught stealing armoured cables belonging to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) based on its surveillance.

    He called on communities where these installations were domiciled to always promptly report any acts of vandalism to the NSCDC or the nearest security post.

    The NSCDC spokesperson also emphasised the need for more intelligence, logistics and patrol vehicles to enable the Corps to properly protect the numerous critical infrastructure in the country such as Electricity, Telecommunication installations and oil pipelines scattered across the country.

    The AEDC’s Head of Public Relations and Media, Mr Ahmed Shekarau, confirmed that the company was partnering with the NSCDC to fight the menace.

    “We have a multi-purpose strategy to check the menace; you remember we had visited the Commandant–General of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, (NSCDC) on the partnership.

    “We have also visited the Inspector–General of Police , and he has agreed that the Force will collaborate with the AEDC to achieve the objective,’’ Shekarau said.

    He told NAN that vandalism of electrical installations was a major challenge to the operations of the company.

    NAN reports that activities of vandals had occurred in many areas in the FCT,especially in the Central Business District, and in such satellite towns as Lugbe, Kuje, Kubwa and Nyanya, resulting in power outage there.

    Shekarau said the number of cases of vandalism of the company’s installations assets was on the increase.

    “If I tell you the number of vandalism in Lugbe, last month alone, you will be shocked, and if I tell you the number of cables that were vandalised in Kuje, between last month and this month, you will also be shocked,” he said.

    He said that the AEDC was engaging members of the communities concerned to curtail the menace.

    “We are engaging with the communities on this issue, because if you look at the city centres where you even have light, you have street light, yet people still go and vandalise them; and in some of the places, the vandalism takes place in broad daylight,’’ The AEDC spokesman said.

  • Distribute pre-paid meters to electricity customers, says Nasarawa Govt

    Distribute pre-paid meters to electricity customers, says Nasarawa Govt

    The Nasarawa State Government on Saturday called on the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) to distribute pre-paid meters to all electricity customers in the state.

    The State’s Deputy Governor, Mr Silas Agara, made the call at a Town Hall meeting organised by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in Lafia.

    Agara, represented by Mr Mohammed Wada, the Commissioner for Works and Transports, said that customers were short-changed through overbilling, estimated billing, among others.

    “The only way the customers will be satisfied is when they have pre-paid meters and sure that they only pay for electricity consumed.

    “The state government has donated land and offered to facilitate the installation of a 3000 KVA transformer in Lafia.

    “If the transformer is installed, it will go a long way in addressing the poor electricity supply in the state,’’ he said.

    Also, Moses Arigu, the NERC Commissioner in charge of Consumers Affairs, assured electricity consumers of the commission’s determination to ensure that distribution companies adhere to the operational guidelines.

    “The commission has concluded plans to open an office in Lafia for the consumers to channel their complaints for redress,’’ he said.

    In his remarks, Christian Chime, the Acting Regional Manager of AEDC, apologised to electricity customers, for the problems they were going through due to poor electricity supply.

    Chime said that the company had taken their complaints and would soon address them to ensure improved electricity supply.

    He said that the company would embark on massive instillation of pre-paid meters in the state, urging the customers not to pay for its installation.

    Some of the customers, who spoke at the event, had complained about poor electricity supply in the state and total absence of electricity for more than three months in some areas.

  • Association of landlords, tenants in FCT protest outrageous electricity bills

    Association of landlords, tenants in FCT protest outrageous electricity bills

    The Landlords, Tenants, Residents Association (LATRA) of Aku and AMAC Estates in Lugbe, FCT on Wednesday staged a peaceful protest over high estimated electricity bills by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).

    The protesters numbering over 30, comprised of elderly men, women and youths from both estates besieged the headquarters of the AEDC in Abuja to register their grievances over the non-supply of electricity to the area and high estimation bills.

    The protesters, who were carrying placards with different inscriptions which read; “AEDC give us light, “we are tired of estimation billing’’ “stop billing us on estimation,’’ “give us our meters“ among other inscriptions vented their anger through different songs.

    Mr Mukoro Samson, the Chairman of LATRA,  Aku Estate told newsmen that residents of the estate had not be supplied electricity for one month.

    According to him, in a bid to help the distribution company, residents contributed money to buy a dedicated transformer, cable and pole for the estate.

    He said that the residents had also written to AEDC with over 200 signatories, notifying the company of the epileptic power supply, high estimation bills and non-metering of many of the customers.

    Samson said regrettably, the company refused to head to any of their complaints.

    According to him, the economic consequences have become unbearable on their families, given the expenditure incurred on running generators.

    “The economic consequence is unbearable on our families and our pockets, the little salary we collect all goes to purchasing fuel in order to get light in our estate and that is why we are here to register our grievances.

    “We have been to their office at airport road, they have been trying their best possible, but their best possible had not be able to give us light.

    “As far as we are concern in the estate, they have done nothing to ameliorate our suffering as regards light in AMAC and Aku estates.

    “The charges are outrageous, for two bedroom flats they give us bill of about N12,000 monthly.

    “Even if you are occupying a self-contain apartment, it is the same thing they give and it is unbearable, unheard of without light, if the light is there we will not complain’’.

    He said in spite of the huge estimation bills, some little villages and communities around the estates enjoy more electricity than the estates, this he said was unacceptable.

    Samson said it was important that the company stopped the high estimation and meter residents of the estate.

    “From today, we are demanding that we be metered, and reconnect us to the airport dedicated line where we were formally connected.’’

    He said that very few consumers had been metered in the estates, in spite of the payment made by some customers for meter under the CAPMI scheme.

    “Not up to five per cent of the residents have been metered, some people like myself paid for four meters, but was given only one.

    “As we speak, the three other meters are nowhere to be found, most of us paid and they also promise that they will give us free meters, but we have not seen anything, even the one we paid for.

    “Our demand from today is that we don’t want to see any AEDC official on our pole or disconnecting our light from today henceforth.

    “We want to warn the authorities of AEDC that if we see any of their staff in our estate until we are metered and power supply to the estate is restored.

    Another customer in the estate, Mr Ekemelu Nnoli said that it was unfortunate that the company had not responded to their complaints.

    He said it was wrong for any company to treat its customers with levity when there was a complaint from the consumers.

    Nnoli said that he had been disconnected severally in spite having paid his electricity bills.

    According to him, all the payments he made has never been reflected, hence the bill keeps running.

    He expressed worry over the refusal of AEDC to address the complaint of customers, this he said was unacceptable.

    “Is it because you guys are running a monopoly, it is not done anywhere, please restore this light, we are tired of this, we cannot take this anymore, give us our light, we paid for it.’’

    A resident of AMAC, Mr Samson Chollom also corroborated the same experience by other residents.

    According to him, he pays between N14,000 and N15,000 monthly on estimation for a two bedroom flat.

    He called on the company to provide prepaid meter for him and stop billing him on estimation.

    “I am not owing and there is no light, please give me meter even if I don’t have  light, I will not complain, but  let me  know what I consume,’’ `he said.

    Addressing the protesters, the Head of Corporate Communication of AEDC, Mr Oyebode Fadipe, said that the issue of estimated billing admittedly was vexatious one, applicable to all distribution companies in the country.

    He said that the metering gap in the country was more than five million, noting that the metering gap could not be covered overnight.

    “It takes a little bit of process, even if you have all the meters in the country today, it will still take a bit of time to make sure that all your customers are metered.

    “So, for some time to come, estimated billing is going to be a part of the power sector in this country.

    “But the issue is that we are not folding our hands and celebrating estimated billing.’’

    He said that 50 per cent of AEDC revenue was being lost on estimated billing, noting that the company was working hard to meter its customers.

    “But as a company, we are ensuring that we fulfil our mandate of at least 120,000 meters annually that is a project we are doing.

    “As I speak to you now, we have two vendors that are supplying us, Mojeck is one of the local vendors, so we are metering customers, but unfortunately the pace at which we are metering them is not the same pace at  which the demand for it coming.

    “I can tell you we are not enjoying estimated billing’’.

    He appealed to the customers to be patient with AEDC.

    Fadipe said “the claim by customers that they don’t have light for some time, we will not dispute it.

    “The records are there on our data base, if our records show that the customers don’t have light, our responsibility as a company is to expunge that part of which we know that they don’t have light.

    “They should not be billed for what they have not consumed.

    “However, for some part of Lugbe, we have poor network in some aspect, but we are working on it,’’ he said.

    Meanwhile, investigation also reveals that some parts of FCT are also faced with the challenge of estimation billing and low power supply.

    These areas include Kubua, Nyanya, and Games Village among others.

  • Scavenger to get six strokes of cane for mischief, theft

    A scavenger, Ibrahim Amimu, is to get six strokes of cane for cutting and stealing transformer copper wires.

    A Karmo Grade 1 Area Court in Abuja gave the sentence on Tuesday following a guilty plea by 34-year-old Amimu, who resides at Jabi Park, Abuja.

    He was charged on two counts of mischief and theft.

    The Presiding Judge, Mr. Abubakar Sadiq, said that the light punishment was because Amimu saved the court from prolonged trial.

    He hoped that the punishment would serve as a deterrent to others. Sadiq warned Amimu to shun crime.

    Earlier, the prosecutor, Mr. Dalhatu Zannah, told the court that Amimu committed the offences on May 14 at 12 a.m.

    Zannah submitted that the case was lodged at the Utako Police Station, Abuja, by Mr. Gregory Etim of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company Garki, (AEDC) Regional Office.

    He said that Amimu cut and stole AEDC transformer copper wires.

    Zannah said that an180mm copper wires was recovered from the scavenger during a police investigation.

    The prosecutor said that the offences contravened the provisions of Sections 327 and 287 of the Penal Code.
    Zanna had prayed the court to try the defendant summarily under Section 347 of the Administration of Criminal Justices Act, 2015, because of his admission of guilt.

  • AEDC presents N1.5m relief materials in IDPs camp

    The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) on Thursday presented  relief materials worth N1.5 million to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Aso Gurku camp, Nasarawa State.

    It will also sponsor the immunisation of 400 children in the camp to demonstrate  its love and care  for  the less privileged in the society.

    AEDC’s  Managing Director, Mr Ernest Mupwaya, made the presentation.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 1,300 displaced persons from the North East are currently resident in the Gurku inter-faith based camp, with women and children under-12 constituting a higher number of the population.

    The exercise was part of programme AEDC ‘s activities  to celebrate the World Immunization Week, celebrated every  last week of April annually.

    The immunization week is aimed at promoting the use of vaccines to protect  people of all ages against diseases.

    Mupwaya, represented by the Head of Corporate Communication, AEDC, Mr Oyebode Fadipe, said that the gesturee was part of AEDC’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

    He said that the IDP camp was chosen to futher actualise the commitment and mandate of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

    “By this exercise, the management of AEDC further demonstrates its commitment to the belief that strengthening the healthy systems is key to breaking the cycle of extreme poverty and disease.“

    He said that the process was also designed to promote health, productivity and prosperity among the less privileged.

    Mupwaya thanked the traditional ruler of the community for providing a space for the IDPs in his kingdom.

    Responding, the Ese of Gurku, Mai Kasuwa Darbmir who spoke through an interpreter, expressed gratitude to AEDC for the gesture.

    According to him, members of his community are living  in peace with the IDPs.

    The Chairman of the camp, Mr Yohanna  Zidico exprssed happiness over the exercise, adding that a committee had already been set up to distribute the items equitably.

    He called on the government to provide more assistance, especially immunization to the camp, adding that over 600 children required the service.

    Items presented to the camp included food stuffs like bags of rice and nodules.

  • AEDC says death of five children in Mpape not caused by electricity

    The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has distanced itself from the unfortunate inferno in which five children died in Mpape area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on   April 1.

    The AEDC, in a statement by Mr. Ahmed Shekarau, Head of Public Relations and Media on Thursday in Abuja, expressed sympathy with the family of the deceased.

    It, however, said that the management deemed it necessary to set the records straight to correct the erroneous impression being created.

    The company said that the report of AEDC preliminary investigation carried out by a fact-finding team revealed that the accident was caused by an explosion from a fuel container taken into the room where the inferno occurred.

    According to records from the AEDC control room in the area revealed that the area had no electricity supply at the time of the inferno, due to load shedding.

    It said that the team’s report also revealed that the mother of the five deceased had sent one of her children to buy petrol for use in a generator.

    According to AEDC, upon return, the child took the fuel into the room where the five deceased children were sleeping.

    “Because of the saturation of petrol fumes in that room, when the woman lit up a match stick to light up a mosquito coil to wade off mosquitoes, the flame ignited an explosion which engulfed the room.”

    It stated that some of the neighbours of the affected family had also attested to the report in separate interviews they granted to the team.

    It said one of the neighbours of the family had also explained to the team that electricity supply was not restored to the neighbourhood throughout the night of the incident.

    This, it said, had confirmed that the unfortunate inferno that led to the death of the five children was not caused by electricity.

     

  • AEDC installs 76,000 meters for customers

    The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has installed 76,000 meters and purchased additional 60,000 for its customers in the FCT and Niger, Kogi and Nasarawa States.

    Mr Ernest Mupwaya, AEDC Managing Director, also told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday that the meters installation and procurement was part of the companies’2017 metering project.

    The AEDC boss said, “We have so far installed 76,000 meters and we have procured additional 60,000.

    “We are busy looking at creative ways in which we can finance the metering gap that is about 500,000 and 600,000 customers.

    “We are on course. We will be able to catch up. There are certain interventions being done in the sector to minimize the negative impact of the foreign exchange regime.”

    He, however, said that the increase in exchange rate affected AEDC’s initial budget for meter procurement for customers under its jurisdiction.

    “The metering programme in our company, like every other company, has faced some challenges.

    “For example, the foreign exchange increases. From the time we took over, the exchange rate moved from N155 to over N500 per a dollar,” he said.

    Mupwaya, however, said AEDC was committed to metering all its customers for transparency and efficiency.

     

  • Aso Villa owes Abuja Disco N555m

    Aso Villa owes Abuja Disco N555m

    The Federal Government will spend the sum of N94.5 million to purchase bullet-proof tyres for the use of President Muhammadu Buhari and others in the 2017 fiscal year, Permanent Secretary, State House, Jalal A. Arabi, has said.

    The purchase of canteen and Kitchen equipment, on the other hand, will gulp N100.8 million.

    This is contained in the breakdown of the State House 2017 budget presented by Arabi to the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs.

    The number of treated (bullet proof) tyres that will be purchased with N94.5 million was, however, unspecified.

    The Permanent Secretary told the committee that a total sum of N94.5 million is proposed for 2017 representing 50% of the actual sought for in 2016.

    He noted that they expected that the amount will address the shortfall and compliment the requirement of “the sector which is mostly treated tyres procured at an exorbitant price.”

    On why the tyres should be purchased at “exorbitant price” Arabi explained that “some of the tyres being purchased are actually treated (bullet proof)” and hence constituted the bulk of the purchase cost.

    On canteen and kitchen equipment, Arabi said that the sum of N100.8 million was provided for in the 2017 proposal for the items.

    He added: “This amount is principally the un-released appropriation for 2016 which was the unpaid balance in 2015 for contracts awarded and executed. The sum of N80.2million appropriated in 2016 has up to this moment not been released hence its roll over and inclusion in 2017.”

    He noted that it was important to mention that the proposal covered kitchen equipment in the main residence, VP residence, banquet hall, State House medical centre, State House auditorium and 22 other guest houses.

    On electricity charges, he said that N45.3 million was approved in the 2016 budget for the purpose.

    He said that the State House electricity bill for 2016 alone as forwarded by Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) for State House Abuja was N252 million with another outstanding liability of over N300 million for State House, Lagos facilities.

    He noted that the provision in the 2016 budget could not accommodate the outstanding liability.

    He said that the management of the State House was forced to install meters in 2016 to ensure proper billing “and that was what reduced the bill to a reasonable figure.”

    Arabi said that since the bills were currently subject of reconciliation “we have made a modest provision of the sum of N319.6 million for 2017 to settle current and part of outstanding bills as noted above.”

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    He said that other outstanding bills will be captured in 2018 proposals.

    Arabi said that a “modest provision of N4.9 billion” was made for annual routine maintenance of Villa facilities for the 2017 fiscal year.

    He said that they considered some factors including exchange rate and inflation trends before coming up with the provision.

    He said: “The services under this heading are very wide and vary. For instance, in 2016 alone, our analysis indicated a consumption of about 123 trailers (about 4million litres) of diesel in the State House Power House alone and which falls under this arrangement. This gives a conservative estimate of almost N900 million on diesel consumption alone. This would rise higher in 2017 unless drastic measures are taken to lower the price of diesel and improve power supply in 2017.”

    Arabi said that another major contributing factor to the rising cost was the undetermined nature of unscheduled works that come at the instance of “our principals.”

    He noted that the facilities covered under the maintenance arrangement included but not limited to maintenance of electrical/mechanical installations, building and civil infrastructure in President/VP residences and offices, President/VP safe houses, banquet hall, council chambers, State House conference center, Villa administrative block, presidential and ministerial chalets as well as Airport lounges.

    The Permanent Secretary said that the sum of N52.8 million was provided for sewerage charges in 2017.

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    He said that the bills received from Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) for liquid waste disposal for the State House for 2016 is N15.6 million with outstanding liabilities of previous years standing at N37.5 million totaling N52.8 million.

    He noted that the figure remained consistent over the years which informed the provision of the same amount in the sum of N52.8million in 2017.

    Arabi said that the position was the same sought for in 2016 proposal “but only a paltry sum of N6.1 million was appropriated.

    He said that they have already commenced negotiation with AEPB to arrive at a mutually acceptable changes henceforth.

    The Permanent Secretary put the sum of N5.08 billion as the total sum of overhead expenditure.

    Chairman of the committee, Senator Tijjani Kaura said that the State House Medical centre should be properly funded by the center does not serve the Presidential Villa alone but provides services for outsiders.