Auwal U Danjega (auwaldanjega.u mar@yahoo.com)
For the workers of Power Holding Company
of Nigeria (PHCN), it is corruption till very
end; this is because the energy firm’s
activities are characterized by illicit acts of
estimated billings, hidden charges,
inefficiency, non-accountability and lack of
transparency. PHCN
is next in hierarchy of most corrupt
institutions in Nigeria.
Kaduna electricity distribution company
(KDisco) which networks span the
entire Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara State and some
parts of katsina
State. The network which span to Tambuwal
local government area and it environs, ahead
of
introduction of new electricity tariff regime
(MYTO2).
NERC and PHCN had assured electricity
consumers
that service delivery and compliance with
industry regulations and orders will be
major indicators for electricity billing by
distribution companies under the planned
tariff regime which commenced on June
1,2012.
Specifically, NERC/PHCN said “The new tariff
regime will be Distribution Company specific
and will be based on the level of
efficiency, each company is able to achieve
between now and the take-off of the new
tariff later in the year.”
Areas earmarked to determine these
efficiencies are the compliance in the
removal of meter maintenance fee (MMF) and
estimated billing of yet to be metered
consumers. NERC, “We will ensure that
defaulting distribution companies refund any
customer with genuine claims.”
PHCN modus operandi in extorting
consumers in what appears as the award
winning, most organized monopoly of power
scam, the PHCN schemes up different
phases of compulsory electricity tariff which
sets irrational spending traps for all its
consumers. On the impression that there’s no
option to PHCN, electricity consumers pay
outstanding bills for services not rendered
and units not consumed.
To enhance the swindler’s revenue, PHCN
gave a facelift to its scam problem by
introducing the digital consumption-rea ding
meter, called prepaid meter, which will always
fleece unsuspecting consumers of
electricity. No wonder, if a consumer lodges
any complaint at all, the next statement is go
and get a prepaid meter, Which some of our
people doesn’t ever see before.
It is a luxury of fortune to be in the PHCN,
especially if you are a Senior Manager
Marketing (SMM), Service Manager (SM),
Business Manager (BM) or you process and
fix meters. On every new meter fixed, you
get your share; on every threat to
disconnect a customer, there’s unaccounted
‘reconnection fee’; on every disconnection,
you do a settlement before customers
recover their cables; on new meter
procurement, you earn on the processing;
on every job executed, you have a part, it is
a bizarre!
Estimated billing and tariffs
PHCN scamming codes include R1, R2, R3, R4
are for Residents, while C1, to C4 is for
commercial, industrial and special have their
own too. We term this as ‘criminal’ codes for
business users. The
nature of the building determines the tariff
to be billed. If it is a small shop with only a
unit of bulb, it is a commercial place. A shop
owner who only uses two bulbs and a
ceiling fan are billed N5,000 monthly by
‘estimation’ on C2 tariff plan. A three-
bedroom apartment is billed N10000 per
month, while a ‘face-me’ apartment with 10
rooms is billed N7000 per month; both
apartments are on R2 codes.
Eg Abdulkadir Malami Tambuwal was billed
125,110.71 as current charge on R2 in only a
house of four bed room Disconnection/
reconnection fees
Sam Amadi, at different fora, had warned
that it was illegal for distribution companies
to disconnect customers without prior
notice of disconnection.
However, customers who delay
payment of the outrageous bill are
disconnected within these networks
without prior notice. Yet, after
disconnection, bills still roll-in for the periods
without connection. This causes the client to
be forced to pay for reconnection in
addition to the accumulated bills during the
period without connection.
According to
some bills their was no sense of humility on
them.
PHCN marketer has been distributing since
last year, Tambuwal is suppose to have light
for 10hours daily, but must problem associate
with are; to much interruption, low voltage,
load shadding, in accurate or no meter
readind, indiscriminate billing, Disconnection,
Lack of morality among PHCN staff among
others. The grievances of our people over
frustration is high. As single complain will
lead to so many litigation.
–
Auwal Umar Danjega writes from Tambuwal
