The Gomo of Kuje, Alhaji Haruna Tanko Jibril has warned residents of the area against tampering with electricity equipment, describing vandalism as an act of economic sabotage.
In his brief remarks at a customer forum organized by Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) at the Kuje Town Hall yesterday, the Gomo, who is also the Chairman of the Council of Traditional Rulers in the area, further warned all the traditional rulers under his province to ensure the protection of electricity equipment in their respective areas.
“All of us should be ‘Ambassadors of AEDC’ against vandals. We must be very vigilant and report economic saboteurs. This is necessary for us to help them (AEDC) to sustain the relative steady power supply that we currently enjoy in Kuje,” AlhajiTankoJibril stated.
He also used the opportunity to enjoin all residents to cooperate with the utility on the new tariff regime that is expected to take effect from 1st February, 2016, stressing: “we all know the value of electricity to our lives and must therefore help the AEDC to serve us better.”
Also speaking, the Interim Chairman of the Kuje Electricity Consumers Forum, Mr.BayoOdejinmi, also aligned himself with the position of the monarch, saying that “power supply has improved in Kuje in recent times.
“I also want to support the Gomo’s position by appealing for understanding on the upcoming tariff increase because electricity from the national grid will still be cheaper than powering our generator sets”.
Mr.Odejinmi advised all electricity consumers in the area to acquire meters, saying that “once you have meters there will be no need for fights again with AEDC staff.”
The Forum chairman however called on the AEDC to use the opportunity of the tariff adjustment to upgrade its facilities in Kuje, adding that the company should also increase the number of its staff in the area to ensure speedy clearance of faults and response to customers’ complaints.
Earlier, the Regional Manager of the AEDC for FCT South, Engr. Abdulmutalib Mohammed and the Area Manager of Kuje, HajiyaJummai Suleiman had appealed to customers to refrain from all forms of hostilities against staff of the company during their legitimate duties.
HajiyaJummai also urged the customers to pay their electricity bills, decrying that in December last year alone, the Kuje area office of the company incurred a loss of over N25 million in the power supplied to it for that month. [myad]
