Judiciary partner AEDC to put a stop to electricity theft, vandalism
Judiciary partner AEDC to put a stop to electricity theft, vandalism
The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company has entered into a partnership with the judiciary in a bid to tackle electricity theft in its operational areas.

The AEDC is the power distribution firm in charge of distributing electricity in Abuja, Nasarawa, Niger and Kogi states.

This is coming as the firm also called on the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission to calculate and convert the AEDC’s share of the financial shortfall arising from NERC’s non-implementation of a cost-reflective tariff to the Disco’s books as assets.

This, it said, would boost the acceptability of the AEDC’s financial books by potential investors in its network.

The Managing Director, AEDC, Mr. Earnest Mupwaya, disclosed this at a workshop on electricity theft for judicial officers in Abuja judiciary circuit.

On matters of electricity theft, Mupwaya stated that it was important to partner the judiciary in order to stamp out acts that were capable of frustrating the target of the Federal Government in privatising the power sector.

The Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory, Justice Ishaq Bello, said it was the duty of the judiciary in Nigeria to help protect investments in electricity and other key economic infrastructure.

He said, “When citizens start rising up to their own responsibilities, you should know that litigation must come, and it is our responsibility to call a spade a spade.

“As an arm of the government, we in the judiciary are glad to join hands with stakeholders like the AEDC to ensure that this essential commodity is available to all and that investment in the sector is well protected within the ambit of the law.”

Bello added, “Vandalism, theft and sometimes unauthorised access to electricity facilities are the common threats in the sector, and this could be a source of economic distress to the country that is trying so hard to improve its electricity sector. And if we don’t move fast, criminals will continue to exploit the vulnerable aspects of the system and other critical infrastructure.”

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