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The Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency, on Monday, urged electricity distribution companies in the country to replace weak distribution networks in their franchise areas within seven days.
It stated that this latest warning comes after a two-month notice earlier issued to the DISCOs to implement the necessary changes.
The NEMSA Managing Director and Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation, Tukur Aliyu, disclosed this to journalists on Monday at the 2024 Customer Service Week in Abuja.
He explained that following the discovery that most of the distribution networks were old and weak, the DisCos were directed to do the necessary upgrade to ensure the safe distribution of electricity in the country.
Following an electrocution incident in Calabar, NEMSA had ordered Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company to upgrade some of its network in the Cross River State capital, but Aliyu said the jobs done by the utility were deemed to be unsatisfactory after two inspection visits.
“We were there (Calabar) two times to ensure that what we asked them to do was done but we were surprised that they had not done it and so we issued an enforcement notice to them. But when we also looked at the networks generally, we also discovered similar networks across the country.
“So, we went to the drawing board and issued enforcement directives to the entire utility companies in the country. They were given two months to make sure that all those areas that were mentioned in the directives are effectively carried out.
“The two month deadline is ending next week and our officers are already on ground and will swing into action to monitor those places and get back to us at the headquarters”, he stated.
He said the objective of the celebration of the customer service week is to celebrate team work and service of all staff and to ensure that its services and support go above and beyond for customers, “which means that our service processes and delivery should transcend our normal mode of carrying out our functions”.
He also called on electricity consumers to patronise certified electricians when carrying out installations in their properties.
He said this will enable them to be tracked when there are any safety issues related to their work.
“To effectively mitigate this hazard, we have technical standards and these are the ones that will ensure they are enforced. The first thing to do is to ensure that your electric installation is carried out by a certified personnel. This is the person that is certified and can be traced when there are any issues,” he added.
Speaking at the event, the National Coordinator, SERVICOM, Mrs. Nnenna Akajemeli, said the customer service week calls attention to the importance of people to boost morale and team work.
He pointed out the 2024 theme: ‘Above and beyond’, “emphasises exceeding expectations in all aspects of service, whether internal or external e.g in testing and certification of all categories of electrical installations in the country”.
