The Kwara State Government has assured that it would create a platform for Stakeholders in the energy sector to ensure stable and improved electricity supply to the people of the state.

The State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed gave the assurance on Tuesday at a Customer Forum organised by the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, held at the Banquet Hall of the Kwara Hotels, Ilorin, North Central Nigeria.

Governor Ahmed represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Energy, Elder Gabriel Yemi-Jimoh, said there is improvement in the supply of electricity since the Company took over from the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, stressing the need for the company to improve on its services for the people to enjoy stable power supply.

The Governor charged the Company to always ensure the value of money of the customers by ensuring that the customers enjoy what they are paying for and assured that the state government would always create enabling environment for the company.

Also speaking, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ambrose Aisabor, urged the Company to be steadfast to its responsibilities, saying that the era whereby communities contribute money to buy transformers and other Company's facilities should be stopped as the company must be alive to its duties of providing necessary equipment for the people.

Prepaid Method

Mr. Aisabor who commended the Federal Government for the ongoing transformation in the power sector,charged the Company to imbibe full prepaid method whereby customers only paid for what they are consuming.

The Commissioner of Police warned the members of the public not to take laws into their hands by protesting and destroying the Company's facilities, describing such act as barbaric and uncivilised, and asked them to always follow due process to express their grievances and complains.

In his opening remarks, the Managing Director of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, Engineer Fortunato Leynes, solicited the support of all the stakeholders in capturing scrupulous individuals who bypass their meters by installing electric wires direct from the poles and run it through the ceilings to the electrical loads inside their houses.

Engineer Leynes, who also appealed to the people to protect its facilities, said until the menace of vandalism and electricity pilferage are nipped in the bud, the plan to improve the distribution facilities and service delivery become very difficult.

The Managing Director, emphasised the need to establish security surveillance around all the Company installations and equipment as costs of repair and replacement of damaged facilities are quite high, notwithstanding the effect of living without electricity.

Answering customers complaints, the Deputy Managing Director of the Company, Mr. John Darlington, appealed to customers to be patient, assuring that there would be a change within one year as they are committed, sincere and working hard to ensure that the customers enjoy stable electricity supple.

Mr. Darlington said in three weeks time, the company would travel to Australia to bring prepaid meters in order to address the problem of arbitrary billings.

Customers at the forum demanded for prepaid meters and asked the company to strengthen its staff as well as meet up with the needs of the customers by repairing and replacing damaged electricity facilities on time without demanding for money from customers.