By Dipo Olowookere
The issue of power theft in the country has remained a major headache to both the government and stakeholders in the electricity sector and Edo State has been labelled as notorious for this.
Speaking at an energy stakeholders’ town hall meeting held in Benin on Monday, Executive Director of the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED), Mr Sunday Oduntan, said the increasing rate of energy theft in the country had made it difficult for electricity distribution companies to pay for what they received from the generation companies.
“People steal energy in this Edo State more than any other state. That, to me, is not a good thing for Edo State. So, even when people talk about metres, we give you metres and you bypass it and those things cost a lot of money,” he lamented.
He said further, “We have pictures and videos of premises and even people who are leaders, civil rights activists, stealing energy and saying that it was a form of protest. To me, that is not a form of protest; it is criminality.”
Mr Oduntan said to curb this problem, the whistle-blowing policy may be adopted.
“We are working towards that (whistle-blowing). We believe that if you help us know what is going on in your neighbourhood, it will not only help us, it will also help you, in terms of what you pay.
“The truth is that if you do not let us know, you are paying for one thief in your neighbourhood,” he said.
Additional information from Tribune.
Adedapo Adesanya