Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC) Plc has increased collaboration with security agencies and communities to tackle vandalism menace that has become prevalent across all its franchise states of Bauchi, Benue, Gombe and Plateau.
This is amidst the challenges of stabilising the Disco’s Aggregate Technical, Commercial and Collection (ATC&C) Losses.
Disclosing this yesterday in an interview, Jos Disco Head of Corporate Communications, Saratu Aliyu, added that the recent move was geared towards taking the appropriate and dynamic steps to mitigate the rampant acts of vandalism of mostly the technical assets of the company.
She said that in 2019 alone, which is the period under review, the company witnessed a huge number of over 51 cases of vandalism which valued over N150 million with energy loss values of over N3 million for each of these vandalised distribution transformers.
Aliyu added that, “currently, we have a number of over 12 ongoing cases of vandalism in various courts across the states; some vandal were recently convicted to 10 years in correctional facility. Through confessions of these vandals, some buyers of the vandalised equipment have also been arrested and are all undergoing prosecutions.”
She however said, “We have put a robust community engagement in place which is fundamentally aimed at involving our host communities to safeguard our installations around them. Through the tireless efforts of our administration and security departments, water-tight collaborations have been established between Jos Disco and various security operatives such as the Local Vigilante Groups, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps as well as the Nigerian Police Force across its franchise states.
“We have also structured our communications channels for timely customer response to avoid intrusion on our network, the company is currently working on investing into technological deployment of security equipment at its’ Injection Substations.”
She called on responsible citizens in all the franchise states of Jos Disco to show commitment to already established relationship between them and the company by way of readily availing necessary and vital information to any security agencies around them or through Its’ Whistle Blowing phone lines.
NAN