INFORMATION ENUGU

By Francis Igata
ENUGU—The management of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC, yesterday, revealed that it has discarded all prepaid meters for smart pole meters to enable it forestall energy pilfering and boost its revenue base.
Prepaid meters This was even as EEDC, vowed to boot out any employee found engaging in corrupt and illegal act capable of undermining the integrity of the company, adding that it has restructured its organization to ensure efficient customer service and performance based services in the south-east geopolitical zone
These revelations were made during an interactive session with executives of the Enugu Coalition of Business and Professional Association, ECOBPA, at the council chambers of the Enugu State Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, ECCIMA.
While unveiling plans to ensure steady power supply in the region, Executive Director, EEDC, Steve Dike, explained that,“ the billing system we inherited was fraught with corruption.
Most of the commercial customers, especially, hoteliers engage in meter bypass which is economic sabotage. Eight-five percent of the prepaid meters installed in the region were bypassed. So, this time, we are installing smart pole meters which will be difficult to bypass.”
“Once the smart pole meters are tampered with, it will trigger an alarm and we will know that something is wrong. Customers do not need to climb poles to recharge. The system has been made a lot easier for them to recharge from the comfort of there homes. We have discarded all the prepaid meters and customers with old prepaid meters will not be meant to pay for the smart pole meters.
“The management is bent on terminating the appointment of any staff found adopting imperialist disposition to customers. Any act of corruption and illegal deals will not be condoned because this is a private business built on the threshold of integrity and performance driven.”