By Ibrahim G. Ahmad
The Regional Manager, Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, (Kaduna Electric), Zamfara, Mr Mu’azu Aliyu, has sought for the support of journalists to sensitize consumers to settle their electricity bills to enhance service delivery.
Aliyu made the call when he led his management team on a courtesy visit to the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Zamfara Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists on Wednesday in Gusau, Zamfara.
The regional manager said, the Kaduna Electric, like any other entity, needed customers’ support by settling their bills promptly to survive and provide better service.
He explained that the company was not just collecting customers’ money, it owes them better service through efficient and regular power supply.
According to him, prompt settlement of bills will enhance service delivery to the consumers.
He stated that the company was working hard to guarantee adequate supply of electricity to its consumers, and it would continue to work hard to ensure customer satisfaction.
“This company needs customers to keep moving. Without customers, we cannot exist, even if the company exist, many staff would lose their jobs if we cannot generate revenue,” Aliyu added.
He said that the management team was at the chapel’s Secretariat to solicit for partnership, so that journalists would play a role in sensitising the public on the need to settle their bills promptly for improved service delivery.
The regional manager emphasised the role of the media in not only shaping public opinion but also boosting the company’s customer relations.
Aliyu, who was recently posted to Zamfara, said he would organise regular stakeholders’ interactive sessions to improve their knowledge on power supply.
He promised to partner with the journalists in sensitising the consumers on the challenges being faced by the distribution company, which is one among the three entities in the electricity supply chain.
The entities, according to him, including the electricity Generation Companies (GenCos), the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and the Distribution companies (DisCos) play different roles in the business of power supply.
He, however, lamented that due to low public knowledge about their different mandates, most times the DisCos were always blamed for poor electricity supply or outages.
The media, Aliyu said, would assist the Kaduna electric in educating the public on why consumers are placed on different categories according to their power consumption, their ability to pay for the service as individuals and businesses.
He said that journalists would play vital roles in sensitising the public against vandalising the electricity infrastructure and critical assets.
The regional manager, therefore, solicited for the correspondents’ support to create public awareness to assist in protecting it’s critical assets, from being vandalized.
Responding, the Chairman of the chapel, Ishaq Tambuwal, commended the team for acknowledging that journalists are the watch dogs of the society.
Tambuwal added that the visit was historic and would foster a lasting relationship between the two bodies.
He said there has been a communication gap between the Kaduna electric and the correspondents due to a poor relationship hitherto.
He, however, emphasised the importance of the media in sensitising the public and in playing roles that would address the challenges faced by the company.
Tambuwal assured that with the new relationship, journalists would support the DisCo in its effort to deliver efficient power to the Zamfara consumers and beyond.
The source reports the Kaduna electric has Zamfara, Kebbi, Kaduna and Sokoto States under its franchise.
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