Prepaid Meters: University Don Alleges Massive Extortion of Customers by DisCos’ Officials
CHIGOZIE AMADI
University don and Associate Professor,Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, Lagos State University (LASU), Dr Tunde Akanni, has alleged that the officials of the Ikeja Electric Distribution Company (IKEDC) engage in “rampaging extortion” in the bid to replace old Unistar Prepaid meters with new ones, calling the attention of the company and the general public to this dastardly act.
In a petition addressed to the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA) and also extended to the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), dated December 29, 2024, Dr Akanni called for the urgent intervention of LASCOPA and FCCPC to stop the excesses of officials of IKEDC that allegedly deactivated the Unistar pre-paid meters serving residents of the Lagos State Government (LASG) quarters at 47 Sobo Arobiodu street, Ikeja GRA despite the warning by FCCPC, that IKEDC should not deactivate the Unistar meters.
In November last year, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission had warned the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) and the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) not to flout its directives on obsolete meters by removing and replacing them with new ones.
The Director, Corporate Affairs, FCCPC, Ondaje Ijagwu, said, “Any attempt by these DisCos to proceed in contravention of it will attract severe consequences;” insisting that the approval of new meter prices by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has no connection with the proposed replacement of Unistar meters by IKEDC and EKEDC.
However, Akanni in his detailed petition said, “What they do is await the exhaustion of the running credits on meters, allow customers to re-charge their cards but ensure they are not able to reload. Once this happens and you report back with your complaints, they would tell you that your meter is bad and due for replacement and that they have new meters in abundance. They would convince you to allow the retrieval of the UNISTAR meter.”
“Once the customer begins to feel that his hope is merely hanging, the customers would be compelled to make desperate request for reconnection and they would deceitfully reconnect you but that would make customers pay through their nose. In the past, customers like me whose monthly consumption hardly exceeded N50,000 following the banding regime had been summarily billed as much as N270,000. Fellow residents of government quarters have had to complain to me on their helplessness and their dramatic bankruptcy on account of this arbitrary billing,” he narrated.
Akanni also explained, “In my own case specifically, my meter was retrieved on Dec 27, 2024 after recharging with N25,000 but failing to reload following their treacherous deactivation. Against my stated position that I was aware of the FCCPC directive to them, they insisted that should immediately apply online for a new meter reiterating that they had new meters in abundance but that I would have to pay N120,000. For fear of wasting all the foods stocked up in the house and to also avoid being slapped with any humongous arbitrary bill, I went to their office to follow up.”
In response to Akanni’s petition, FCCPC wrote to Ikeja Electricity Company in a letter dated January 14, 2025 titled: Complaint by Tunde Akanni on Failed Service Delivery and signed by the Surveillance & Investigations Officer, David Akoji.
However, reports indicate that IKEDC and EKEDC are yet to abide by FCCPC directive.
