Abuja electricity firm decries increasing attacks on officials

THE Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has expressed concern on the increasing attacks on its field workers in some satellite towns in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Mr Ahmed Shekarau, AEDC’s Public Relations Officer, said in a statement  in Abuja on Monday that it was callous for staff of the company to be attacked while carrying out their legitimate duties.

He said there were avenues put in place by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and AEDC for any aggrieved customers to channel its grievances.

Shekarau said the desire to resort to self help by some customers was a criminal breach of the right of the staff who are carrying out their legitimate duties.

He said that a worker, who was on revenue recovery visit in Gwagwalada, was viciously attacked and hit at the back of his head with a shovel.

The spokesman further said that a cashier was also harassed by a mobile policeman in Kubwa while on a revenue drive for the company.

Shekarau said staff of the company on revenue drive was prevented from disconnecting a debtor customer by mobile policemen who shot into the air to scare the staff away.

He said that three AEDC staff were also intimidated, assaulted and manhandled by two mobile policemen at 2/1 junction in Kubwa while carrying out their legitimate duties.

The spokesman said AEDC management had written a petition to the Inspector General of Police against the Divisional Police Office in Kubwa.

He said that the petition followed an alleged unprofessional way a case of assault and threat to the lives of three AEDC staff members

He noted that the resort to self-help and the use of dangerous weapons by aggrieved customers amounted to an attempt to deny the company of revenue accruing to it.

“While the company will not compromise its relation with customers, it also has a duty as an organisation, to protect its workers who are also connected one way or the other to the customers,“ he said.

He appealed to customers and members of the public to always exercise restraint and not resort to physical assault whenever there was any disagreement between them and the staff of AEDC.

Shekarau said that the company had always handled complaints of its customers with all seriousness.