From Judex Okoro, Calabar 

The Executive Vice Chairman/CEO Federal Committee and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and Electricity Consumer Complaint Resolution Platform, Babatunde Irukera, has stated that paying bills without commensurate electricity supply is against the law.

Speaking at the inauguration of  FCCPC four-Day Electricity Resolution Platform in Calabar on Wednesday, Irukera said any business that cannot satisfy its consumers is preparing for its extinction.
According to him, “allowing customers to pay tariffs without commensurate electricity supply is against the law. The problem of compelling consumers to pay electricity bills is tantamount to oppressing and extorting money illegally from consumers.
“What Port Harcourt and Electricity Distribution Company 
 is doing is by forcing customers to pay bills is just to make all agencies fail. 
 
“The commercial contract we have is between the citizens and the power distribution companies, and that is acceptable. People pay for a service, and it is mandatory to provide what they have paid for.
“The internal mechanism for assessing scorecard of electricity companies is not by collection of tariffs. There is need for a new model of service delivery where  customers can also derive satisfaction.”
Decrying a situation where electricity providers cut off the power supply for some days and still give out bills covering that same period, he cautioned against exploiting the consumers at the detriment of making profits.
He also decried the illegal tradition of consumers buying transformers, and later it becomes PHED property.
He said the platform will help in engaging with the people more and help address arbitrariness, adding that a few days away there would be some complaints within the sector that would be resolved.
He said the commission understands the frustrations of consumers but stressed that regardless of their frustrations they have to respect lawful processes.
Speaking also, the Director General, Cross River State Electrification Agency, Dr Eric Akpo, commended the commission for this public forum as it has afforded consumers opportunity to channel their complaints.
Akpo disclosed that the state government has distributed and installed transformers even at ab exorbitant cost, expressing disgust at the attitude of PHEDC in which they still charge fees to even maintain the transformers.
“It is even more worrisome that after undergoing through all these processes, electricity providers would go ahead and charge crazy bills tanging from N5m to N40m out of their meager earnings.
“It is illegality for the state government to provide electricity transformers and PHEDC would collect the bills without recourse to state government.
“He listed communities that government has provided transformers and later PHEDC went there and disconnected them for not paying bills to include Akamkpa, Ikom, and Obudu.
Speaking, the Assistant General Manager of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Eddiom Ene, said electricity is about teamwork just as we expect them to assist in resolving them.
It is our duty to protect electricity installations. So we urge all customers to collaborate and engage the PHEDC in achieving better services.
Representative of the Managing Director and CEO of Port-Harcourt Electricity, Engr Collins Igwe,  said the interaction has provided a meeting point between consumers and the electricity providers to x-ray its services and customers’ reactions.
He urged customers to try and contest crazy bills and stop further payment of such bills until it is resolved.