The National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has opened a forum office in Benin City, the Edo State capital, to be closer to the consumers in addressing unresolved electricity issues between the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) and its customers within latter’s coverage area of Edo State.
Minister of power, Chinedu Nebo, who commissioned the office, said the initiative would enhance NERC’s mandate of protecting the customers’ rights.
Nebo, who was represented by a deputy director in the ministry, Omololu Ogunleye, hinged the success of ongoing reforms in the sector on level of interaction among the stakeholders.
He called for support for the distribution companies to ensure that consumers’ rights were protected. “These companies must ensure that Nigerians have adequate power supply,” he said.
Ogunleye said the forum would serve as a platform and a major talk point for the resolution of electricity issues from various communities.
“The commission has the mandate to ensure that Nigerians have adequate and reliable supply of power. Let me use this opportunity to emphasise that the federal government’s efforts are quite glaring and it will not rest on it oars until it has achieved the desire to provide electricity for all.
“It takes the commitment of all stakeholders and patience of the consumers to achieve this goal. There is no gain-saying that the success of the electricity sector is dependent on the effective coordination of the sector,” he said. In his remarks, the Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole, who was represented by the state commissioner for energy and water resources, Chris Ebare, said the NERC forum office had been expected.
He suggested that such offices should be opened in all the local government areas in the state to reduce the burden of people in the rural areas travelling to the state capital to lay complaints.
