All Electricity Consumers Protection Forum Secured Ruling Against Ikeja Electric From Nerc Forum In Case Number Ifo/Nerc/2023/07/9286 Over Artificial Billing Of Customers Requested Account Numbers To Obtained Meters

The electricity consumers Advocacy group, known for fighting against any unwholesome practice and flagrant disobedience to operational law in the power sector, All Electricity consumers protection Forum had obtained ruling from the Nerc forum, a quasi tribunal set up to adjudicate in the matter relating to issues that affects consumers rights violation as stated in section 43(1) of NERC regulatory law called Consumers protection regulations,2023.

The national cordinator, Adeola Samuel -Ilori who spear headed the taken up of the matter with IKEJA ELECTRIC management up to the Nerc Forum, ikeja said during the course of advocacy on his radio program titled, “Electricity on Freshfm Lagos, aired every Saturday between 4-5pm, some of the callers who are consumers of ikeja electric were bittered and aired their views on this particular treatment receiving from ikeja electric which has humongously affect their outstanding balance on their bills even when no single light was used in their demised premises.

He said because of such numerous complains , he did investigation to know what led to such practice by ikeja electric and he discovered that what ikeja electric practice not only criminal but artificial. It was discovered by him that ikeja electric management are fonds of billing customers who asked for account numbers to fulfill the process of obtaining prepaid meters as new building owners or and as extension of old buildings separation of wire for multiple flats in demised building.

This exercise allows ikeja electric to bill such customers monthly even when they know the building or separated wire has not been connected, even completed not to talk of connected to their transformer to warrant billing. Having understanding of this unwholesome practice, the national cordinator, All Electricity consumers protection Forum write to the managing director of ikeja electric,Mrs Folake Soetan in a letter dated 18th May, 2023 and titled , RE- FRAUDULENT ACT OF BILLING CUSTOMERS UNDER IKEJA ELECTRIC FRANCHISE AREAS ON THE PRETENCE OF OPENING NEW ACCOUNT NUMBERS FOR METER PROCUREMENT PURPOSES. Adeola Samuel, intimated the ikeja electric MD on the practice obtained in her organization which not only artificial but fraudulent and how it had made many consumers be forced to pay for what they did not owed but made to pay under.a stringent circumstances by their organization field men and undertaken in the name of cash drive mechanisms of the organization.

Mrs Folake Soetan failed to either denied nor responded to the letter which forced the group executive to invoked the provision in section 43(7) which allows a registered advocacy electricity consumers group to stand on behalf of consumers to approach the Nerc forum for further intervention and adjudication. The case came on October 19th, 2023 with ikeja electric represented by their lawyer and commercial manager while Mr Adeola Samuel stand in for the affected consumers based on those reported to their office.

In their ruling in the case number IRO/NERC/2023/07/9286, it was resolved in favor of the appellant that those with such bills and outstanding balance cumulated be adjusted and the practice should be review and do according to the approved Nerc methodology. And those submitted as evidence in the matter their outstanding balance culminated in the practice be review within one month billing circle says the ruling.