Minister says electricity challenge is artificial

Mr

Fashola made the assertion when received the management of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company in Abuja on Wednesday

According to him, the challenge can be surmounted with stakeholders collaboration.

The minister, however, charged the company to be more customers’ friendly and to keep the public abreast of its operations in order to win their confidence.

He said that the purchase of electricity transformers by private individuals should stop henceforth; stressing that it was the responsibility of electricity distribution companies to do so.

Earlier, Mr Ernest Mupwaya, Managing Director of the company, said the visit was to solicit support for policies that affected it and the electricity industry generally.

Mupwaya said, though, the company was determined to offer world class service to electricity customers in the Federal Capital Territory, Kogi, Niger and Nassarawa, but it had challenges.

This, he said, included acts of vandalism and defaulting customers, especially government Ministries Department and Agencies, among others (MDAs).

He stressed that though the solution for going forward in the electricity sector might be complex, it required the collaboration of stakeholders to achieve success.

He, however, said that the company was already discussing with the Governor of the Central Bank on ways of offsetting debts owed it by the MDAs.

Mupwaya called on the Federal Government to strengthen laws against vandalism of cables and transformers to deter vandals from destruction of power assets in the country.

He further said that the company had also been meeting with stakeholders and communities with a view to resolving some of their challenges.

He added that measure were also being put in place to modernise the company`s customer care service to ensure improved service delivery.