To address power-related violations quickly, the Federal Government announced on Thursday that it was finalising the procedure for the creation of an electricity offences tribunal with a built-in appeals system.
Additionally, it stated that 2,655,488 metres had been tested and calibrated in the power sector as the majority of the equipment had been placed in service for usage by citizens nationwide.
On June 2, 2024, The PUNCH exclusively revealed that, according to the Federal Government’s most recent data on metering, 609,585 energy consumers were metered in 2023, while 7,319,846 registered power users nationwide were not metered.
According to data from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, 5,842,726 of the 13,162,572 registered consumers who receive power from the national grid are metered, according to the report.
The Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency’s Managing Director, Aliyu Tahir, said at a news conference in Abuja on Thursday that the organisation had tested and calibrated over 2.6 million metres in accordance with its mission.
Tahir claims that in order to guarantee the metres’ usability, robustness, and safety, NEMSA—a federal organisation founded in 2015—continues to test and calibrate additional metres.
He said, “A total of 21,681 electricity installation projects have been inspected and tested, out of which 13,154 have been certified. Also, a total of 16,624 electricity networks have been monitored by NEMSA.
“About 4,921 factories, hazardous installations and public places have been inspected, tested and certified fit, while 2,655,488 electricity meters have been tested and calibrated, as 487 incidences were investigated by the agency.”
He clarified that the figures were based on information gathered by NEMSA as of the first quarter of 2024 and mentioned that the agency’s enforcement duties and authority had been reinforced by the Electricity Act of 2023.
Tahir stated that based on the powers conferred on the agency in the Electricity Act, NEMSA had been working hard to establish a tribunal that would speedily try electricity-related offences.
“We are working on the establishment of an electricity offences tribunal with an in-built appeal system for faster dispensation of electricity-related offences. It is to vest NEMSA in-house counsel with powers to prosecute electricity offences,” he stated.
Providing further explanation about the tribunal, Tahir said the initiative would adequately electricity theft when implemented and that the National Assembly had been informed.
“We are looking at the establishment of this electricity tribunal to be able to enforce our mandates more. When you look at the enforcement, concerning sanctioning of violators in the Act, it is a very long process.
“So to fast-track the prosecution of offenders, the establishment of this tribunal solely for the power sector will go a long way in ensuring that we fast-track the process, carry out enforcements and sanction violators,” the NEMSA boss stated.
He noted that with the tribunal, issues of electricity theft would be addressed speedily and violators would be prosecuted as quickly as possible, adding that the agency was interfacing with the National Assembly on this.
“The establishment of this tribunal has been brought to the knowledge of the legislature and we’ve made submissions to them. We hope that they will amend the Electricity Act to include a provision for this,” Tahir stated.
