Business
EKEDC, LASG Move Against Bypassing Prepaid Meters
The Eko Electricity
Distribution Company (EKEDC) says it will collaborate with the Lagos State Government to strengthen existing laws against individuals or corporate organisations that bypass prepaid meters in the zone.
The EKEDC General Manager, Public Affairs, Mr Godwin Idemudia, told newsmen on Monday in Lagos that the overhaul of electricity laws would assist in reducing the incident of prepaid meter bypassing.
Idemudia said that consumers were no longer deterred by N50, 000 fines stipulated as punishment in the existing laws for bypassing prepaid meters.
“This is the reason why the management is working in collaborating with the Lagos State to fine tune new laws that will have stringent penalty for bypassing prepaid meters”, he said
“The law , he said should be imprisonment without an option of fine for those caught in this act.
“This stringent measure will make consumers to desist from tampering with prepaid meters knowing that it is imprisonment without option of fines. “As at now, it is just a fine of N50, 000 and the consumer may have used energy that was more than that before he was caught,” he said
The general manager said the management would constitute a task force which would comprise of some of their staff and the police that would be moving round to check prepaid meters.
He, however, remarked that any of the staff found conniving with consumers to tamper with meters would be prosecuted and be dismissed with immediate effect if found guilty.
Idemudia also advised the electricity consumers in the zone to always report to the management any official of the zone who collected unauthorised monies.
He urged them to always safeguard electricity installations in their area.