JED Procure 200,000 Transformers, 50, 000 Meters, Spends N8b On Metering:

The Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JED), on Wednesday informed Journalists that it has procured a total of 200,000 Transformers, 50,000 Meters and has spent N8b in the procuring of meters, all aimed at boosting electricity supply in Bauchi, Gombe, Benue and Plateau States.

Speaking with Journalists at the routine monitoring exercise of Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), the Managing Director, Mohammed Gidado Modibbo, is also quoted saying that about 50% of JED customers would be metered before January 2017 despite having thousands and millions of customers across its franchise states.

However, Mr. Eloka Chuks-Nwosu,  the Deputy Director, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), after the monitoring exercise, laud JED on the giant strides it has achieved over a short period of time, saying that the BPE is satisfied with JED Plc, on its mandate in implementing the Nigeria policy on Privatization and Commercialization.

Giving JED the nod to do more, Nwosu said that government will continue to support private enterprise, so long as entrepreneurs continue to keep to their own bargain, saying that the function of BPE as provided for in the Act, includes, preparing public enterprises approved for privatization and commercialization and ensuring the success of the privatization and commercialization exercise through effective post transactional performance monitoring and evaluation.

Consequently, to further elucidate on work in progress, the JED boss also disclosed that the company has invested another N4b and has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), with local manufacturers for the provision and delivery of meters that would be available in the near future.

His words, “we got N4b from the CBN Power Fund and we ordered about 85, 000 meters again.  We have thousands and millions of customers and it will take time for them to be metered, but in the next few months, we expect 50% of our customers to be metered and before the end of this year, we would make sure our industrial and commercial customers would be metered”, he said.

Modibbo appealed to vandals of transformers and other electricity appliances to desist from doing so, as it adverse effects, affects the efficiency of electricity supply.

urging customers for prompt payment of bills, he said this gesture would help to avoid actions that will destabilize the distribution of electricity, stressing that bills should be paid in the banks and JED approved offices, warning that paying electricity bills to JED staff directly is prohibited.

He also appealed to government agencies to clear their debts, stressing no investment would grow without debt recovery