No fewer than 37 cases of vandalism were confirmed to have been so far discovered across across the Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) franchise area In recent months.
Making the confirmation yesterday, during a sensitization engagement at the Fombina Emirate Council in Yola, Adamawa State, the Managing Director and CEO of the Company, Engineer Abdulrahman Isa, said, the Yobe region reported the highest number of incidents, with 20 cases.
According to the YEDC boss, 12 of the aforementioned cases have led to successful prosecutions, with the culprits now serving jail terms.
Highlighting the impact of vandalism on service delivery, he lamented that it has caused significant financial losses and disrupted the company’s ability to meet its obligations.
Isa, who also addressed ongoing challenges with power supply in the region, cited rising costs in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity.
He explained that while it costs YEDC ₦214 to deliver 1 kWh of power to Adamawa, the highest tariff collected when the government subsidized electricity, according to him, was only ₦50 to ₦56.
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He however admitted that since the government withdrew the subsidy in April, tariffs for areas with reliable infrastructure and a minimum of 20 hours of service per day, classified as Band A feeders, have risen to over ₦214. Other bands continue to receive subsidies.
He noted the economic challenges facing both YEDC and its consumers, pointing out that purchasing power has dropped by over 30%, further burdening households.
“We are caught in the middle, we must meet our obligations to purchase and distribute energy while covering operational costs, despite the economic pressures affecting everyone.” He stated.
He also attributed the recent reductions in power supply to YEDC’s inability to collect sufficient revenue from consumers, which has impacted the company’s ability to pay generating companies for the electricity needed for distribution.
Responding, the first class monarch of Adamawa, Dr. Barkindo Aliyu Mustapha, who spoke through Walin Adamawa, Alhaji Aminu Abdulkadir Mbamba,
acknowledged the difficult business environment in which the company operates, criticizing the government’s handling of the transition from subsidy to non-subsidy.
“Unfortunately, the government didn’t properly plan the transition, leaving investors and industry leaders to deal with the consequences.”
Stressing the importance of diplomacy, dialogue, persuasion, and conflict management skills in improving customer relations and enhancing business potential, the need for the company to invest in staff training, he believed has become necessary.
