NERC Sets Up Appellate Courts To Hear Customers’ Complaints

The Nigerian Electric
ity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has established  16 customers complaints forum offices as appellate  courts within the operations area  of every electricity Distribution Company (DISCO) to resolve customer complaints not resolved at the Disco level.
The Acting Chief Executive Officer of NERC, Dr Anthony Akah disclosd this Thursday at the commissioning of the Awka  forum office in Anambra State.
According to the NERC boss, the forum is a body charged by the  commission to hear  and resolve all unresolved customer complaints emanating from the customer complaints unit of electricity distribution companies.
“The forum, which is an appellate court, is established within the operation of every electricity distribution company”, Akah said.
Akah emphasised that each of the 16 forum offices has a representative from the industrial customers nominated by manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), a representative of Commercial Customers nominated by the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), A  preventative of household customers nominated by the consumer Protection Council (CPC),  a representative from a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) nominated by NERC.
Others are, an electrical engineer nominated by the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), and  an administrative/Forum Secretary who is a NERC Staff.
Akah noted that it is important that an electricity customer must first report any grievance to the customer complaints Unit (CCU) of the distribution company before  bringing such unresolved  complaints  to the forum, if it is not resolved at the CCU level.