The Federal Government announced on Thursday its plans to establish an electricity offences tribunal aimed at combating electricity theft in the country.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA), Aliyu Tahir, detailed the initiative.
“We are working on establishing an electricity offences tribunal with an in-built appeal system for faster dispensation of electricity-related offences,” Tahir stated. “This will empower NEMSA’s in-house counsel to prosecute electricity offences.”
Tahir explained that the tribunal would effectively address electricity theft and that the National Assembly had been informed of the initiative. “The establishment of this tribunal will enforce our mandates more efficiently.
The current process for sanctioning violators is lengthy, but the tribunal will fast-track the prosecution of offenders,” he said.
Based on the powers conferred on the agency by the Electricity Act, NEMSA has been working hard to establish a tribunal that would expedite the trial of electricity-related offences.
Read Also:
Tahir noted that the agency was in communication with the National Assembly, hoping for an amendment to the Electricity Act to include provisions for the tribunal.
Additionally, Tahir reported that NEMSA had tested and calibrated a total of 2,655,488 meters, with most of the equipment now in use by consumers across the country.
On June 2, 2024, The PUNCH reported that 609,585 electricity consumers were metered in 2023, while 7,319,846 registered power users remained unmetered.
Data from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission indicated that out of 13,162,572 registered consumers receiving supplies from the national grid, 5,842,726 had been metered.
Tahir confirmed that NEMSA had tested and calibrated over 2.6 million meters in line with its mandate.
“A total of 21,681 electricity installation projects have been inspected and tested, with 13,154 certified.
Also, 16,624 electricity networks have been monitored by NEMSA,” Tahir added. “We have inspected, tested, and certified 4,921 factories, hazardous installations, and public places, and investigated 487 incidences.”
The figures are based on data compiled by NEMSA as of the first quarter of 2024.
The Electricity Act 2023 has further strengthened the enforcement powers and responsibilities of the agency.
