The Jos Electricity Distribution Company has assured residents of Gombe State of improved service delivery, faster repairs of faulty transformers, and the rollout of prepaid meters beginning September 2025.
Speaking during a Customer Consultative Forum held in Gombe on Saturday, the State Operating Officer of JEDC, Rilwan Shehu, said the interactive session was designed to listen to customer complaints and address them promptly.
“We are here because we feel our customers are important,” Shehu said. “This forum is an avenue where we meet our customers face-to-face to listen to their complaints and see how fast we can identify those challenges and resolve them.”
He expressed satisfaction with the turnout, noting that residents turned out in large numbers to engage the company.
“I’m very excited because all the customers came out to identify with us, their business partners in Jos Electric, and they opened up their minds. The most important thing is, you have a problem and I have the solution. The solution is here with us in JEDC,” he said.
On recurring complaints about faulty transformers, Shehu stressed that repairs were strictly the responsibility of JEDC but urged customers to fulfill their part by paying bills on time.
He said, “Of course, the issue of repairing transformers is solidly on the shoulders of our company. But customers must have it at the back of their mind that their sole responsibility is to pay their bills as at when due. Once they pay, we’ll be encouraged to do whatever repairs they are expecting from us in a timely manner.”
Shehu disclosed that the company will commence metering customers on Band A—those who enjoy up to 24-hour electricity supply—before extending to other categories.
“We’re the first in the country stepping into this,” he said. “By September, we’ll begin metering customers, starting with Band A. That doesn’t mean we won’t meter others, but we’re starting there.”
He also lamented vandalism of power installations, describing it as a major hindrance to a stable electricity supply.
“You wake up during the rainy season and realise cables of transformers have been cut away. We have bad eggs everywhere. But we are working closely with security operatives. As I speak, about 11 suspects have been apprehended through the efforts of civil defence, DSS, and the police,” Shehu added.
According to him, beyond the vandals, those who patronise stolen materials are the bigger challenge.
“It is a cartel; it is a ring. The buyers are our major problem. Once they stop buying, there won’t be vandalism, because even if they steal, they won’t have anywhere to sell it,” he said.
Shehu commended Gombe residents for improved bill payments, noting that it had translated into better service delivery.
“You will agree with me that there are some levels of improvement in Gombe,” he said. “That is as a result of bill payment. As they improve their payments, the sky will be our starting point.”
He stressed that JEDC’s success depended on customer cooperation.
“Without the customers, we cannot remain in business. And without us, they need us for service delivery. It’s a partnership, and we are determined to make it work,” he added.
Also speaking, Abubakar Lamido, a safety officer from JEDC headquarters, cautioned residents against tampering with electricity installations.
“We are here to educate and enlighten the public on the dangers of having contact with our installations,” he said.
Continuing, he added, “These installations are the instruments we use to render public services. There is a danger associated with people having contact with these networks. They should go far away from them because electricity doesn’t talk, it doesn’t know who you are.”
On the metering programme, JEDC’s Meter Asset Provider Desk Officer, Anas Sadiq, said the company had already begun installations in Plateau State.
“By the end of next month, we will deploy meters to Gombe. We want to close the metering gaps in Band A before proceeding to other bands,” he said.
Some customers at the forum, however, used the opportunity to raise personal complaints. One of them, Dr Okezie Ejeagba, lamented that his faulty meter issue had lingered for more than two years without resolution.
“I can’t be satisfied until I see my units,” he said. “Because I’ve been here before, I’ve been at this level before, where they told me it was going to be solved. It was never solved. So I can’t be satisfied until I get my units back.”
