In a bid to curb the menace of vandalism in the Southern part of Plateau, the paramount ruler of the Panshin and Kanke Chiefdom of Plateau State, Ngolon Ngas, Nde Jika Golit, has promised to mobilize and galvanize all traditional and security leaders in his domain to protect electricity facilities.
According to a statement issued by Dr. Friday Adakole Elijah,mnipr, Head, Corporate Communications affirmed that this promise was made following an appeal by the Head of Security of the Jos Electricity Distribution Plc, Alhaji Musa Abdullahi, during a courtesy call on the Royal Father during a courtesy call on him by management of Jos Electricity Distribution Plc in his Palace last Thursday shortly before the commencement of the customer’s consultative forum.
Abdullahi had pleaded with the royal father to use his position to halt the vandalism of electricity installations in the area.
The Ngolon Gas assured that he would personally sanction any traditional leader or security outfit found wanting in safeguarding electricity installations. He also charged the Management of Jos Electricity Distribution Plc to improve the supply of electricity to the area.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director of Jos Electricity Distribution Plc, Engr Abdu Bello Mohammed, assured customers that the company would strive to deliver regular and reliable power supply to the area.
He attributed the current low supply to the poor allocation from the national grid due to the yet-to-be-restored second 330kV kv line from the Ugwuaji-Enugu-Makurdi line.
The Ngolon Gas, who commended the management of the company for the visit, said he would ensure that electricity installations in his domain were not subjected to vandalism, stressing that he would personally sanction any of his chiefs or local security outfits found wanting in safeguarding electricity installations in their respective localities.
“I am ready to sanction any traditional leader or security outfit within my domain who fails to give adequate protection to electricity distribution facilities in their areas. These facilities are serving us, and therefore we should put our eyes on watching them for our benefit”, he said.
He, therefore, charged the Management of Jos Electricity Distribution Plc to, in addition to supporting security outfits which would be required to help in safeguarding the facilities, call on the company to improve the supply of the area.
Led by the Bukuru Regional Manager, Engr Williams Galadima, the Jos Electricity Distribution Plc informed the Royal Majesty that they were in Pankshin to interface with customers on the latest developments in the energy sector including issues of vandalism, energy theft and the newly introduced e-billing system.
At the customer consultative forum which took place at the convocation square of the Federal University of Education, Pankshin, the Managing Director, Engr Abdu Bello Mohammed, assured customers that the company would strive to live up to its mandate of delivering regular and reliable power supply to the area.
He said he was liaising with the relevant authorities towards the completion of the 132KV line to the area stressing that the completion would significantly improve the power inflow to the entire Southern part of Plateau.
He further disclosed that the current low supply to the area was orchestrated by the poor allocation from the national grid due to the yet-to-be-restored second 330kV kv line from the Ugwuaji-Enugu-Makurdi line, asserting that as soon as the line is restored, supply to the area will significantly improve.
The Managing Director, who was represented by Engr Galadima, said the management deliberately selected Pankshin for the programme to keep the customers abreast in conformity with the company’s policy anchored on customer-centrism.
In his presentation, the Head of Customer Complaints and Relationship Management, Dr Lucky Akpobi, anchored his presentation on the rights and obligations of customers and the disco.
JED PLC, he said, “is in partnership with its customers, and there is a need for customers to lay complaints on service shortfalls as we have our customer service touch points established to receive and resolve their complaints”, adding, “We in JED PLC take customer sensitization as a key step to effective service delivery as a precursor to revenue generation”.
Also speaking, the Head of Security, Alhaji Musa Abdullahi, called on customers to take ownership of electricity installations in their respective areas of residence, stressing that the vandalism does no one any good.
While the company will be losing revenue as a result of the catastrophic effects of vandalism, Abdullahi noted that the affected communities would have their socio-economic growth stunted.
He, therefore, called on the people not to see electricity installations in their areas as properties belonging to the company alone as, according to him, “they are serving us and as such should be seen as ours. Don’t allow any unscrupulous elements destroy what belongs to you”.
Similarly, the Head of Safety, Alvinmax Cyprian Yenkwo, advised all electricity users to be safety conscious by observing all safety measures to avoid electricity accidents.
He also cautioned against the usage of non-certified electrical personnel to avoid accidents, severe shocks, fire and electrocution.
Yenkwo further advised customers not to rush towards switching off their appliances whenever they notice high voltage as that could jeopardise their lives saying, “The best thing to do in such circumstances was to rush and report or call the closest JED PLC office because such appliances might have been induced with a voltage that could lead to electrocution”.
Engr Kabir Lawal and Dr Ibrahim Danbata, Regional Managers of Jos Metro and West of Mines, respectively, who decried the devastating activities of energy depredators, called on customers not to shed anybody seen taking free energy, saying, “Kindly report or expose anybody seen stealing energy”.
