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| Comrade Suraj Fadairo |
In the heat of the increase in
electricity tariff, Comrade Suraj Fadairo, the president of Energy Consumer
Rights and Responsibilities Initiative visited Alimosho Standard’s office and
had an interview with the Editor, Olufemi Odeyemi. In the interview, he talked
on the administration of the former NERC boss, Dr. Sam Amadi, he talked on the
new tariff, he also talked on the ignorance of electricity consumers and how
they have been taken for granted by electricity distribution companies. He also
talked on the issue of prepaid meter and many more. Please enjoy the excerpt of
his interview.
Alimosho Standard: What’s your name and what do you do sir?
Comrade Fadairo: My name is Comrade Suraj Fadairo, I am
the National president of Energy Consumer Rights and Responsibilities
Initiative. It’s a non-governmental organisation. We are there to assist
consumers and Energy distribution companies, mainly electricity, petroleum and
gas to make sure consumers are not unduly exploited. We assist the government
in monitoring so that the companies don’t exploit the consumers. We also make
sure the consumers don’t use services without paying. What we fight against is
that we don’t want consumers to be billed for energy not consumed or to be
given estimated billing.
Alimosho Standard: Is your organisation registered?
Comrade Fadairo: Yes, we are registered with the government;
our registration number is CAC/IT/78539. We are registered partner to Consumer
Protection Council (CPC).
Alimosho Standard: What are these Rights of a consumer that
you are protecting?
Comrade Fadairo: One of our duties is that we go about
enlightening people on their Rights and responsibilities as written in the
rules and regulation of Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in
the case of electricity which is what we are concerned about now because of
what is happening(tariff increase). You have customer’s complain handling,
standards and procedure, connection and disconnection procedure and so on, all in
their rules and regulations book. I don’t think most of these people who read
meter and disconnect lines are aware of all these procedures because all they
do is to behave like gods, they do what they like. Nobody said they should not
disconnect owing customers but here (opening the NERC handbook), the rules and
regulations said before you disconnect anybody, you must give disconnection notice.
These people put aside disconnection notice and use disconnection order. The disconnection
notice is supposed to be communicated through writing. The one on the meter is
payment due date, not that they should come and disconnect on payment due date.
If someone owes, you should give him 90 days before you disconnect. This is not
banana republic where people are treated anyhow. They need to play by the rules. We are in the 21st
century.
Alimosho Standard: How do you think estimation of bills can
be sorted out?
Comrade Fadairo: You see, the only solution is to give
prepaid meters which most of them are not interested in doing. In Lagos here,
especially Ikeja Electric, they are not ready to give anybody meters. Government
gave them bailout funds last year through CBN, they are not supposed to
complain about insufficient funds at all because they said they were able
financially and that was why they were given license in the first place. They just
don’t want to, because they want to keep exploiting people. My house is under
Ikeja Electric (IE) and I have gone to them on several occasions, they first
told us in 2014 that before the end of the year, they would give us prepaid
meters. Again, they said by March 2015 and so on. I went to the Managing
Director(Engineer Abiodun Ajifowobaje), introduced myself and told him we want
to assist them to let the consumers know their modus operandi, I asked him when they will be giving us prepaid
meters and he said he was assuring me that by June, they will give everybody
prepaid meters. He told me he was going to South Africa and I should see him
when he got back. He said he would call people like us, the stakeholders so
they can plan with us to help them in the distribution. Till now, we haven’t heard
from them. I told him they have been feeding us with lies and since then, I haven’t
been able to see him, even to speak with him on the phone. If the MD tells
lies, why won’t the other staff of the company be free to tell lies? Is it the
B.M (Business Managers) that won’t tell lies?
Alimosho Standard: Will you say NERC is doing what they
should be doing in terms of regulation?
Comrade Fadairo: That is what I am saying. What are they
monitoring? They are supposed to regulate and monitor Nigerian Electricity
Sector but they are not. I took 17cases to Ikeja Electric forum, after 10 days
they ought to give us dates for hearing but since October that I took the cases
there; I haven’t heard anything from them. NERC is not following their own
rules and regulations, how then do they want to enforce it on the DISCOs
(Distribution Companies)? It looks like the DISCOs are bigger than NERC. There was
a time NERC said they gave them 2 weeks to meter everybody, do you remember? What
happened? When it was getting to the end of the two weeks, I went to one of
them and they said “don’t mind them”. How can you be on that seat as the CEO
and you say something and it is not respected? I won’t say they have been compromised
but I think they are toothless bull dogs. They have the wherewithal to do
whatever including licensing and suspension of license. It is even the CEO of
NERC that will be talking on behalf of the distribution companies. He will tell
you they have invested money and they need to make gains. Is that what the CEO
of a regulatory body should be saying? Somebody else is acting now and I hope
he will refrain from the ways of the former CEO and have everything under his
grip.
Alimosho Standard: The New Minister in charge of Power,
Babatunde Fashola (SAN) said every house should be metered before the new
tariff is introduced but now that the new tariff is to take effect, most houses
have not been metered.
Comrade Fadairo: (laughs) I am happy you are following
the matter. When they are used to disobeying NERC, how will they obey the
Minister? These people seem more powerful than the government. It’s easy, give
people prepaid meter and then you can come to say you want to increase your
tariff but No. let’s see what the Minister will do now that they have flouted
his order.
Alimosho Standard: Where do we go from here, what do we do
now?
Comrade Fadairo: NERC should wake up. The new man acting
there, Anthony Akah, should wake up and work. I hope he is ready to follow the
president’s line, if not, I am one of the people that will call for his…
anyway, he is there in acting capacity. If he cannot regulate, what then is he
looking for there? To continue business as usual? I think the government should
look very well into the system.
Alimosho Standard: In case people have complains on
electricity and other energy matters, how do they reach you?
Comrade Fadairo: Our Headquarter is at Block 16 Flat 2,
Jakande Estate, Abesan. Our numbers are 07066558365, 08080163364, 08185943592. Our
email address is encorrinitiative@yahoo.com
Alimosho Standard: Thanks for coming around sir
Comrade Fadairo: Thank you for having me.
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