In a bid to ensure sanity between distribution companies and consumers, the area manager of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) in the Bwari area council, Engr. Adesola Oyedotun has called for a stringent penalty for anyone caught bypassing meters allocated to them by AEDC.
Oyedotun who made this call yesterday while speaking with LEADERSHIP Sunday in Abuja, said the current punishment when caught bypassing meters is six months back billing and other less stringent demands, which are not enough to discourage people from committing the crime of bypassing meters.
He said if someone is caught bypassing meters on two occasions, the third time, he or she should be sent to prison for a particular period, and his name published in newspapers for people to see, which he said would serve as a deterrent to others.
“AEDC prefers that when you get your meter, you must follow the due process, and not bypass. Because that is another thing putting this business into a problem. There must be stringent penalties and laws more than the one we are operating currently when people bypass meters.
“If you bypass a meter and one or two people are jailed for meter bypass, I believe people will sit up as regards that area. Because the people in the community believe AEDC does not want them to have meters they prefer giving them bills.
“Whereas we want them to have meters. But when they have meters, what do they do with it? Are they using it the way it is supposed to be or they are bypassing the meter?
“That is another very critical angle in this business, as regards meter bypassing. I can give an example of many organisations, not even individuals that have bypassed meters in this Abuja,” he said.
According to the area manager, that is why he is advocating for a stringent law to be in place to back all DisCos if they truly want to stop the menace of meter bypassing.
“If you commit the crime the first time, the second time, and the third time, you should be made to face the law. You should know that it is a very serious crime and when your name is published everywhere as a criminal that bypassed meters in different states, nobody will want to do it again.
“We should do ‘name and shame’ to stop people from bypassing meters in Nigeria. In the area of energy theft, if there is a stringent law, I believe people will stop this menace.
“Vandalism is a common problem with all the discos, apart from Abuja discos. The security operatives need to step up their game. There should be synergy between the security operatives and the DisCos to safeguard government property.
“Also the communities are the ones making use of most of these equipment, so they should see the property as their own and protect them from theft”.
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