The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has urged Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company to design a quick response mechanism in addressing customers’ complaints within its networks.
The Commission also has urged electricity consumers to always bring their complaints through the DisCos before escalating them to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the FCCPC.
Acting Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Adamu Ahmed Abdullahi gave the advice on Saturday in Lagos at the “Electricity Consumer Complaint Resolution Platform,” which was dubbed a one-stop shop for addressing the billing, metering, transformer, connection, disconnection, consumer service and other electricity consumer issues in Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) coverage areas.
Abdullah said that the highest number of complaints received by the commission was on power sector, which created more concerns to call for the forum, which was with the support of MacArthur Foundation to embark on a nationwide tour to meet the consumers and hear their complaints.
He said that the forum was an intervention to bring all the stakeholders together to listen to consumers’ complaints and resolve the issues at stake.
The FCCPC boss also advised the DISCOs to be forthcoming whenever customers approach them with issues because it is their primary responsibility to provide customers’ services to electricity consumers in Nigeria.
“Our determination is to resolve all these problems within the period we are in a DISCO’s area. When we could not, we give a timeline to the DISCO to dispose the complaints. If they fail you are free to report to our Lagos office,” he said.
The Head, Governance and Regulatory, IKEDC, Ms. Jolaoluwa Adewale, commended customers for their patience and cooperation and the FCCPC for arranging the forum that brought the DisCo closer to its customers.
“We have noted your complaints and feedback and will continue to work hard to resolve them”, she said.
A representative of NERC, Mr Chukwunonso Okwuosah, also commended FCCPC for putting the customers’ complaints forum together.
An electricity consumer, Anthony Chukwemeka Iteghete, expressed satisfaction that the forum had enabled consumers to ask their service provider salient questions.
He said: “I am here because I paid for meter since August 2023 and have not received it. I sleep without light. I want you to address this because IKEDC said that they have no meter. But they are having my money.”