- Body applauded for regular engagement with company
The Light Up Movement has charged the management of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) in Kogi Region on the need to channel its power supply to commercial centers and artisans in the state.
This followed a high-powered meeting held at the Kogi Regional office of the company in Lokoja, between members Light Up Movement and the top brass of the company.
A statement to that effect was made available to journalists in Lokoja by the Secretary of Light Up Movement, Yabagi Mohammed Ahmed Yabagi.
The statement quoted the Chairman to have expressed displeasure about the reduction in supply in Lokoja and its environs and urged the management to improve on their productivity.
According to the statement, the problem of power supply affecting small and medium scale enterprises in the state formed part of the submission of movement’s Chairman, Comrade Iliyasu Iliyasu H Zakari.
The Chairman said there is the need for the AEDC to put into consideration the frustration being faced by business owners and improve in its power distribution.
He also made a case for the decision of the company to unilaterally downgrade customers to Band D supply threshold, and pleaded for the AEDC to upgrade customers to ‘At least, Band C.’
Rather than D, which has at least, a 12 hour supply cap, he urged the company to upgrade customers to C with supply cap of 16 hours and assured the AEDC that consumers would pay, if that is the fear for the refusal to upgrade customers.
Reacting to the issues raised, the Chief Business Officer (CBO) for Kogi Region of the AEDC, Mr Olaseni Agunpopo expressed gratitude to the movement for their approach to issues of power supply in the state and Lokoja in particular, and singled out the Chairman, Comrade Iliyasu Zakari for praise, in view of his mature handling of issues whenever there is need to address a matter.
He presented the challenges being faced by the company to include a Breaker problem on the 15MVA Transformer feeding Lokoja which he hoped will resolved within the second week of November, 2024, assuring that it would help them to ensure better electricity supply to all feeders.
On the issue of upgrade of customers, the CBO said the present arrangements by NERC means Customers cannot get beyond a certain number of hours.
“Presently seven feeders in Lokoja region are in Band D (₦33.95 per kWh). Migrating to Band C (₦51.79 per kWh) will increase hours of supply as well as Bills.
“Line load on 33KV takes most of the allocation and is making it hard to have enough allocation for 11KVA. We are working to install a device to can help better manage energy on 33KV, reduce wastage and to ensure more energy availability to be released to 11KV, consequently moving some feeders from the present Band D to C (12-16hrs) one at a time.”
The meeting therefore resolved to expedite the process of migrating Customers to Band C, ensure the maximum 12hrs for Band D is achieved for all feeders and that there would be flexible supplies to allow businesses get the power they need during the day for them to thrive.
The meeting was attended by various stakeholders, including representatives of various communities, Chairperson of the Artisans Association among others.
