The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has ordered the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company to refund whatever consumers have invested in buying transformers, poles, cables, and other items.

The Chief Executive Officer/Executive Vice-Chairman of FCCPC, Tunji Bello, gave this directive at the FCCPC Electricity Consumer Forum in Ota, Ogun State.

Bello, who was represented by an official of the commission, Mrs. Bridget Etim, said it is not the duty of consumers to buy transformers, cables, or electric poles, saying such investments must be refunded by the Disco whenever they are made.

At the forum held in Ilogbo, Oju-Ore area of the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun, community leaders under various Community Development Committees and Associations, alleged that the IBEDC had failed to respond to their complaints despite a series of letters written to its officials.

The Ado-Odo/Ota Zonal CDC Chairman, Mr. Olatunji Onaolapo, decried what he called the nonchalant attitude of IBEDC officials in the local government.

According to him, consumers now buy everything that should be provided by the Disco, yet many communities remain in darkness.

?In Itele Ota alone, our people have bought up to 80 transformers. IBEDC did not buy a single one. We will even pay for energisation, we will beg them to come and install a transformer that they are supposed to buy. It is uncalled for,? Onaolapo alleged.

Responding, the IBEDC boss in Ogun State, Abdulrasaq Jimoh, blamed the communities for buying the transformers without carrying the DisCo along.

Jimoh said the communities ought to inform the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission of their intention to procure transformers and other items needed for electricity supply in their areas before going ahead to procure them.

However, the FCCPC official, Etim, interrupted the IBEDC?s Jimoh, saying, ?I disagree.?

Etim told the Ibadan DisCo to learn from Jo?s Disco, which recently refunded its consumers even without NERC or FCCPC involvement.

?We are not going to accept that as a commission. For the ones that had happened before, we were not aware. We told the IBEDC before that for subsequent investments in network areas, returns must be given to the investors (the consumers). The previous ones were not properly documented with us, but subsequent ones must be refunded.

?I am correcting this because the Disco is saying you have to write NERC. If you tell the Disco that you want to invest, the Disco has the responsibility to escalate it to the regulator, that this is what the community is doing.

?In fact, let me tell IBEDC that Jos DisCo has had to compensate a community that invested in their network without informing NERC or FCCPC. I want IBEDC to change and learn,? Etim said.

Going forward, she urged Nigerians to always inform FCCPC of their plans to invest in the DisCos network going forward to ensure getting refunds through energy credit.

While presenting the EVC?s opening speech, the FCCPC boss stated that the three-day forum was convened under Sections 17, 127, 130, and 151 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018.

She said the forum was designed to bridge the gaps between consumers and service providers in the electricity industry.

?Electricity is not merely a commodity. It is a vital service that powers livelihoods, businesses, and progress. However, the industry continues to grapple with persistent issues such as insufficient metering, billing inaccuracies, and infrastructure challenges, all of which require urgent and collaborative resolution.

?This event presents a non-adversarial forum for dialogue. Consumers will gain clarity on their rights and responsibilities, while Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company?s caseworkers will be available to address grievances on the spot. This aligns with our core mandate to ensure that consumer protection is practical, accessible, and responsive.

?At the heart of the FCCPC?s interventions is the recognition that electricity consumers are entitled to fairness, transparency, and accountability. We are guided by our commitment under the FCCPA to inform and educate consumers about their rights; facilitate complaint resolution and redress; encourage fair trade practices among service providers, and promote collaborative engagement that ultimately improves service delivery across the sector,? she said, quoting the executive vice chairman.

At the forum, officials of the IBEDC were on the ground to immediately attend to consumers? complaints and get them resolved on the spot. (The PUNCH)

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