Prepaid Meter Or Prepaid Exploitation By Gedu THE introduction of the prepaid metre in Nigeria by defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) on February 16th, 2009 was warmly welcomed by all Nigerians. It was believed to be an alternative that would be of great benefit to electricity consumers across the nation. People saw it as a way of escape from the initial analogue system where consumers were charged above their consumption rates through the distribution of what was known as NEPA Bills. Electricity consumers were charged based on the number of occupants in a building or according to the size of the building. As a result, the bill charged per month differed from one house to another. In other words, there was no generally acceptable fee charged for electricity consumption as PHCN officials decided what they give as monthly charge per building during this era. Nigerians actually thought that the introduction of the prepaid metre would save them from the embarrassment of PHCN officials from disconnecting their light as a result of accumulated bills. Authorities of PHCN enumerated the benefits attached to the usage of the prepaid metre, saying it is cheaper and better because it is “pay as you uses” (PAYU). The prepaid metre is just like a cell phone that has to be recharged before one can call out but the only difference between the cell phone and the digital prepaid metre is the fact that while the former can still accept messages and calls from outside, the latter goes off immediately the unit is exhausted. Once the unit of the prepaid metre is exhausted, the resident of such building experiences a blackout pending when the metre is recharged again before he/she can get light in his/her house. Unfortunately, the hope and expectations of Nigerians have been trodden upon as the introduction of the prepaid metre does not serve the interest of the public, but to the benefit of the Electricity Distribution Companies. Instead of the pay as you use (PAYU) that the metre ought to serve, it is regrettably a means of exploiting the masses because the metre does not connote its meaning of pay as you use but pay more than you use (PAMTYU). It is however not surprising that the officials of BEDC encouraged people to go for the prepaid metre claiming that it would be of great benefits to its users not disclosing the craftiness of their plans to the public regarding the gain they intend to make from it. Imagine a person recharging his/her prepaid metre and invariably the units lasted for about 3- months and when the units get exhausted in the 4th month and going back to the BEDC office to buy units in order to recharge it, the fellow is charged the previous 3 months He /She did not come to recharge the metre. Now the issue is, the fellow did not visit BEDC office to recharge because the units had not been exhausted before then but the officers would still charge the person the 3 months fee which they called maintenance fee. A service they don’t even render except you pay them for such. This is criminal and is tantamount to advanced free fraud, popularly known as 419 which require the attention of the Economic and financial Crime’s Commission (EFCC). A visit by Weekend Observer to some residents in Benin metropolis shows that the fixed charged rate differs from one place to another. Speaking with Weekend Observer, Mr. Andy Best, a managing director of Andy Best International, Airport Road, Benin City, said he has been using prepaid metre for about 3 years now and frankly speaking he is not enjoying it because according to him he is paying more than what he is using. Mr. Andy, said his monthly fixed charge is N1, 000 as opposed the N750 others pay. When asked why he is paying N1, 000, he said the BEDC officals told him that people residing in airport road axis are exceptional and that is why they have to pay higher amount. Narrating his ordeal, he said: “Imagine when you lock up your store and travel for a year and your metre is switched off and returning after the year to recharge the metre, the BEDC officals would still charge you for the one year that the metre was not in use and the amount for one year would be calculated and must be paid before you can recharge:. According to him, there was a time his metre got spoilt and he went to complain at the BEDC office and he was charged N3, 000 for maintenance N1, 000 for registration and N1, 500 additional for bank draft. Making the total of N5, 500 he paid cash before he was attended to. Speaking further Mr. Andy Best said he bought the prepaid metre at the rate of 25,000, then to collect receipt, he paid another N10, 000 and N5, 000 for installation and others he could not remember before he finally had the prepaid metre fixed. Mr. Andy however described the deadly and criminal act practiced by BEDC officials as the greatest exploitation of man kind. According to Chief Osagie the prepaid metre ordinarily was supposed to be distributed to people free of charge but amazingly they are sold to people who need them. Chief Osagie said his own monthly fixed charge is N750. He said whether your units finishes or not, you must pay the fixed charge per month. He further said, if an individual’s metre get spoiled, such a person is expected to buy another one and that new one would take a very long time before the fellow would actually get it. Chief Osagie however described this act as wicked and highly exploitative. According to him, using the prepaid metre is not encouraging and he is not happy using it. Speaking further, he said he bought his metre at the rate of 35,000 then the officer of defunct PHCN that installed it also collected their own fee including wires he bought. He said in those days, the prepaid metre he knew was original not like the one he has now. He said then it was located at police quarters at Exhortic Primary School where there was coins in use. He said you put the amount of coins into the prepaid metre and immediately the money is exhausted. The light would go off and it was very transparent not like this croaked and perversed one. According to him. “This is not what I called prepaid metre but prepaid exploitation”. He however advised the BEDC officials to reconsider their policy and do things that would be of great benefit to the masses rather than extorting them. A resident of second Oranmiyan Street, Off Evbuotubu Quarters also expressed her dismay recently when she sent one of her sons to buy N1, 700 units to recharge her metre immediately the card finished. But regrettably, N1, 500 was deducted from the N1, 700 leaving the boy with just N200 saying they have not recharged for two months. Whereas the units lasted for this particular months in question. According to her, the boy returned with the N200 and so I have to give him another N500 in order for him to buy N700 units. What shall we say then, should we continue to exploit our fellow man in order to enrich ones pocket? I can’t imagine when this deadly cankerworm called corruption that has eaten deep into the system of our nation is going to stop. It is better we returned to the old analogue system of metre which has to do with bill distribution at the end of the month instead of this supposed pay as you use system that is calculated at duping people of their funds. Government should set-up agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to look into the account of electricity distribution companies. The masses deserve all they need to enjoy life and the government of the day
Posted on: Sun, 28 Sep 2014 13:52:54 +0000
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