THE management of Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) has commenced the official distribution of free prepaid meters to residents of Kano, Jigawa and Katsina states.
In the first phase of the programme alone, about 87, 747 customers will receive free meters, KEDCO Chief Executive Officer, Isyaku Jamil Gwamna, stated during the flag-off of the programme at Hausawa Quarters, Tarauni Local Government Area of Kano.
Gwamna, represented by KEDCO’s Chief Operation Officer (COO), Vijay Kumar Salawani, urged customers to make judicious use of the meters and avoid bypass.
He explained that the programme has been put together through the combined efforts of KEDCO, the federal government and Meter Asset Provider (MAP).
The initiative, Gwamna said, is under the auspices of National Mass Metering Scheme (NMMS), a Federal Government intervention scheme of providing meters to customers at no cost, adding that it was powered by MAP.
Chief Customer Relations Officer (CCR), Abubakar Yusuf, explained that the federal government, along with eleven DISCOS across the country, is distributing six million prepaid metres to consumers nationwide.
He disclosed in Kano that the distribution has commenced from house to house in the first phase, tagged Zero Phase, where 87,747 will be distributed.
“KEDCO has over one million customers in Kano, Katsina and and Jigawa. Efforts have been made to ensure a hitch-free distribution of meters to all the customers in KEDCO’s franchise area.
“I wish to thank you for being present at this event. The federal government along with 11 distribution companies in Nigeria have provided six million metres for our consumers.
“We have about one million customers from Kano to Katsina and so a proper modality for the distribution is being adopted.
“It is not a thing that will be expected within a day, a week or a month but it has commenced already,” he said.
Yusuf appealed to customers to take responsibility and report any case of vandalism or diversion to the concerned authorities.
“We call on the public to report cases of vandalism and bypass of connection by anybody to the concerned authorities, because it is a crime.
“There are readily available laws dealing with such crimes and violators will surely be prosecuted” he stated.
Administration Manager, Salisu Abdussalam urged the public to avoid destroying KEDCO installations, as he hailed the federal government for its effort in providing the metres.
