In a bid to clampdown on individuals and organisations engaging in acts of energy theft and meter bypass, the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) has formally inaugurated a Special Investigation and Prosecution Taskforce on Electricity Offences (SIPTEO).
Also being targeted are those involved in vandalism of power infrastructure.
The inauguration, which took place weekend at the company’s corporate headquarters, was presided by the Acting Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Paul Okeke, in company of a member of the Board of Directors, Dr. Steve Dike; the Technical Adviser to the Board, Mr. Yateesh Kumar; the company’s Transformational Consultant, Mr. Okey Nwosu; Head of Taskforce, Miss Chinenye Okafor and other members of Executive Management of the company.
In his remark during the event, Mr. Okeke charged the team to be professional in the discharge of their responsibility, stressing the need for high level of integrity and respect for human rights.
He said “the high prevalence of meter bypass and energy theft in the South East has been a serious challenge to EEDC. The company has consistently recorded losses in its revenue on a monthly basis”
He added that “the situation that is currently threatening the performance and sustainability of the company.
“It is therefore expected that with the inauguration of SIPTEO, the rate of theft and vandalism within the network will be reduced and this will bring about increase in revenue and more efficient service delivery to electricity customers in the South East.”
The leader of the 18-man special squad, SP. Spencer Tyozua, assured the management of EEDC that his men, who had been carefully selected for this job, would be responsible and professional in the discharge of the assigned task.
DAILY POST reports that the SIPTEO, which is a collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Justice, EEDC and the Nigeria Police Force, was first inaugurated in Abuja in the year 2017, under the Electric Power Sector Reform Act, 2005 and other regulations which empowers the taskforce to investigate, arrest and prosecute cases of theft, vandalism as well as recovery of lost revenue.
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