The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna

  • KEDCO spends millions to improve service delivery – MD

    The authorities of Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO), revealed that they have acquired modern operational facilities worth millions of Naira to boost the quality and range of power distribution with a view to improving consumers’ satisfaction.

    According to the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Company, Dr Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna (Sardaunan Gombe), who disclosed this in a chat with newsmen, the newly acquired equipment would be commissioned for use in the first week of May.

    Gwamna stated that the company’s resolve to reduce complaints while improving the quality of service and ensuring that consumers get value for their money had necessitated such spending.

    He added that the equipment would boost the quality of power distribution and the capacity of KEDCO staff to respond to emergency calls while mitigating electrical faults.

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    The KEDCO boss noted that,“in our quest to satisfy our customers and ensure that consumers get value for their money, we have acquired some electrical equipment and other operational vehicles to make service delivery swift and timely.

    “We have acquired 170 transformers comprising 500KVA 11, 500KVA 33, 300KVA 33, 300KVA 11. We also acquired 60 operational vehicles comprising Golf, Hilux, buses and ambulances. Also, hundreds of personal protective equipment, helmet, boots and gloves, reflective jackets, ladders and transformer cables were bought.

    “The transformers will solve the challenge of overloading which has been one of the complaints I had received recently and we have moved in that direction. So the new transformers will be used to jerk up the voltage levels and decrease the risk of electrical installation developing faults.

    “We are on course to see that we address all complaints by consumers as well as guarantee improvement in power distributions across KEDCO States,’’ he said.

    He stressed that all they had bought were as a results of KEDCO’s commitment to minimize complaints to the barest minimum while maximizing all efforts to get consumers happier than the previous years.

    He added that since KEDCO takes its customers as partner in progress, the customer should also play their part to pay their bills timely and completely.

     

  • Only KEDCO staff can collect electricity bills, not NEPA 2 – MD

    The Managing Director of Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO), Dr Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna, has called on consumers in Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states to desist from paying their electricity bills through illegal staff known as NEPA 2, adding that all bills must be paid only to genuine personnel who are known as KEDCO Staff/offices or approved banks.

    Speaking at a media parley in Kano, Gwamna advised KEDCO consumers to ensure they pay their bills at any KEDCO offices and or at the nearest banks.

    According to Gwamna, it has become necessary to give this advice as illegal staff called NEPA 2, have devised means of collecting payments without remitting them to KEDCO coffers or staff who are the genuine personnel to function in that regard.

    “Customers should also ensure collection of receipt after payment. The nefarious activities of such illegal staff who collect revenue from customers without remitting same to the company is affecting our revenue collection,” he said.

    Dr. Gwamna urged KEDCO customers to desist from patronising such personnel, noting that: “You should rather pay your bills through the banks, directly to KEDCO offices or through POS and you insist on getting official receipt for any such payments.

    According to him, in less than one year, KEDCO was able to improve on its revenue collection from 48 per cent in the last five years to 60 per cent presently.

    The KEDCO boss said the company had improved on its customer experience, pointing out that, “we have customer units in all our 180 offices across the three states. Effectively, we resolve technical complaints within a space of two hours, while commercial complaints are resolved within 24 hours. We are currently working on having 24-hour customer care unit service so that customers can get us at any time and lay their complaints for immediate action.”

    He said in 2018 alone, KEDCO spent N4 billion on capital expenditure on which over 200 transformers and 60 vehicles were purchased, among other essential infrastructure, to improve power supply.

    The KEDCO boss also lamented on the challenges of metre by-pass, saying the issue of illegal connections by customers is becoming a big challenge to the company.

    He added that the development had adversely affected the company’s revenue target, noting that “we are almost running at a loss.”

    Gwamna blamed the epileptic power supply being experienced in recent times to faulty transformers, pointing out that KEDCO loses distribution of about 70 to 80 megawatts to two faulty transformers which were yet to be fixed or replaced by Transmission Company of Nigeria.

  • KEDCO MD laments activities of illegal staff

    The Managing Director of Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO), Dr. Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna yesterday in Kano lamented the nefarious activities of illegal staff who collect revenue from customers without remission to the company, which has adversely affected revenue collection of the company.

    Dr. Gwamna who spoke during an interactive session with Reporters at Bristol Hotel, advised customers in KEDCO network area, namely Kano, Jigawa and Katsina states to desist from patronizing imposters masquerading as the company’s staff to defraud members of the public.

    According to him, the activities of these impostors is now alarming, causing losses and friction between KEDCO and its customers.

    Dr. Gwamna urged customers to pay their bills through the banks, directly to KEDCO offices or through POS, adding that customers must insist on getting official receipt for any such payment made.

    According to him, in less than one year, KEDCO has been able to reduce losses on revenue collection from 60 per cent to 50 percent, adding that revenue collection grew from 48 per cent in the last five years to 60 per cent presently.

    The KEDCO boss said the company has improved on its customer experience, pointing out that, “we have customer units in all our 180 offices across the three states. Effectively, we resolve technical complaints within a space of two hours, while commercial complaints are resolved within 24 hours. We are currently working on having 24 hours customer care unit services so that customers can get us at any time and lay their complaints for immediate action.”

    He said in 2018 alone, KEDCO spent N4 billion on capital expenditure on which over 200 transformers and 60 vehicles were purchased, among other essential infrastructure, to improve power supply.

    The KEDCO boss also lamented the activities of metre by-pass, saying that illegal connection by recalcitrant customers has become a very big challenge to the company, adding that the development has adversely affected the company’s revenue target, “as we are almost running at a loss.”

    Gwamna, however, blamed epileptic power supply being experienced in recent times to faulty transformers, pointing out that KEDCO losses distribution of about 70 to 80 mega watts to two faulty transformers which are yet to be fixed or replaced by Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

  • Faulty transformers: KEDCO boss appeals to customers

    Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Kano Electricity Distribution Company ( KEDCO ) Dr Jamilu Gwamna has appealed to customers to be patient as repair work on faulty transformers were on-going while assuring them of better power delivery as soon as the transformers were fixed.

    Gwamna said this in Kano on Monday while fielding questions from newsmen following an SOS sent by customers to Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

    According to him, it has become imperative to issue such appeal as it is one set-back that is currently threatening our good relations with our numerous customers who have taken their complaints to even the TCN aside the similar ones made to KEDCO.

    “It has come to the level that we have to beg our customers who are affected by the faulty transformers because we don’t want anything to dent our relationship with our customers as it is tilting towards.

    “Our customers have been good and faithful in their payments. The truth is that we didn’t cause this and we don’t pray it continues this way but I assure our customers that better days wait them in terms of power delivery as soon as the transformers are fixed.

    “We are aware that some of our customers are not happy especially those that are directly affected. But I can assure you that the TCN and KEDCO are working to get things back online. So, let the customers exercise patience.

    The Kano DisCo boss emphasized that the customers are the ones keeping them in business, adding that their happiness must be sought.

    He appealed to the TCN to quicken repair works on the faulty transformers while assuring the customers that succour would still come to them when the transformers become functional.

    Gwamna also appealed to the youths of host communities where KEDCO installations are to report any slight change in the position or sound of such equipment.

  • ‘Vandalism, energy theft, others hinders 24-hour power supply’

    The Managing Director of Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO), Dr Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna has expressed disgust over the high rate of vandalism, energy theft, illegal connection and others are the obstacles hindering constant power supply.

    He expressed optimism that the company can generate 24-hour power supply with cooperation of its customers by meeting its objections through prompt payment of their bills.

    Gwamna who revealed this on Monday Kano, while speaking to reporters, said that for distribution to be a success within the states under KEDCO, all bottlenecks must be removed.

    The DisCo boss listed some of the bottlenecks as energy theft, vandalism, illegal connections amongst other things, added that some customer’s refusal to pay their bills was also a threat to the operational target of the company.

    According to him, it is possible to have 24-hour power supply if these bottlenecks are removed in partnership with customers and the host communities.

    Gwamna noted that customers and host communities were always seen as major stakeholders especially on issues that bother on security of installations, adding that vandalism could be better detected by members of the host communities and customers everywhere.

    “Vandalism, energy theft and unapproved connections have both operational and financial consequences on the company and our ability to provide 24-hour power supply.

    “As a team and a customer-friendly company, our plan and visions is for our numerous customers to have constant delivery of power even now that the efforts of the federal government were yielding improvement in generation.

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    “But for the bottlenecks, we are better organized to meet that target. If our customers and host communities cooperate with us, we can fight out the bottlenecks and improve power delivery to the 24-hour supply wish of our numerous customers.

    “Few months ago, KEDCO lost over N80 million to vandalism in a month and we still have such cases on our records today as a recurring issue. Due to energy theft and refusal to pay bills, the company does not generate enough revenue to cover the worth of energy being transmitted to it on monthly basis.

    “If these are eliminated, I tell you KEDCO will meet the 24-hour power supply even if it takes us making more demands for transmission so as to have more to supply since power generation has improved. So, it’s a matter for our customers and host communities to help out.’’

    He noted that the major help the customers and host communities could render was to report cases of attempted vandalism and energy lose to the authorities, adding that with that the company would be better placed to provide 24-hour power to meet the energy consumption of customers in Kano, Katsina and Jigawa States.