KEDCO loses N187m to vandals in one month

The Kano Electricity Distribution Company said it has lost its power installations worth N187 million to vandals, in the last one month.
Dr Jamilu Gwamna, the Managing Director of the company, made the disclosure at a one-day stakeholders meeting the state traditional and religious leaders in Kano, on Wednesday.
News Agency of Nigeria reports that the meeting was convened by KEDCO to enlighten customers on the importance of paying electricity bills.
He said the activities of vandals had negatively affected the operations of the company, leading to poor service delivery to its customers in the three states of its operation.
According to him, the meeting was also necessary in order to rub minds with them on improved service delivery and revenue collection.
He called on the participants to extend the message to their subjects in their respective domains, and urged them to preach the importance of prompt payment of bills for services enjoyed.
Gwamma said: “You are now aware of our successes and challenges. Each and every one of you has a role to play in mobilising your people to ensure prompt settlement of their electricity bill.’’
He also lamented the dwindling revenue generation of the company, and said it had been operating at lost.
He said: “We pay between N3.8 billion and N4 billion monthly as cost of the energy given to us but we only generate between N1.8 billion and N1.9 billion as revenue from customers.
“So this is an indication that there is problem as a company we are in operating at losses.”
He said that 70 per cent of the revenue being generated came from industries, while other customers hardly give the company the remaining 30 per cent.
Earlier in his remarks, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, represented by the District Head of Gabasawa, Alhajj Bello Abubakar, called on the company to ensure adequate and steady power supply.
NAN reports that the meeting was attended by District Heads and Imams from the 44 Local Government Areas of the state.