The Managing Director of Kaduna Electric, Engr. Garba Haruna, has sought the support of the judicial arm of government in the fight against all forms of energy theft and vandalism.
He said stringent sentencing by judges and magistrates will help in sending a strong signal to perpetrators that such acts carry severe consequences and will no longer be tolerated, according to a statement from the Head of of Corporate Communication of the Company, Abdulazeez Abdullahi.
Engr. Garba disclosed this when he led a delegation of the Management of the company on a courtesy visit to the Chief Judge of Kaduna State, Justice Mohammed Lawal, in his office in Kaduna on Wednesday.
He said as key stakeholders and partners in the national development, the judiciary has a critical role to play in the efforts to ensure the viability of the power sector in the country.
To this end, he said the company will soon organise a workshop for judicial officers comprising judges, magistrates and prosecutors to enlighten them about various issues in the power sector.
He also solicited the support of the judiciary in ensuring that customers who have defaulted in the payment of their bills or caught stealing energy are not allowed to find recourse in the courts where they go and get injunctions to evade justice.
According to him, going by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission’s Customer Redress Mechanism guidelines, aggrieved customers are expected to first seek redress at the commission’s Forum offices located in all Kaduna Electric’s franchise states before heading to court.
The Managing Director also seized the opportunity to congratulate the Chief Judge on his appointment and wished him a successful tenure in office.
In his response, Justice Lawal thanked the delegation for the visit and promised to support the company within the ambit of the law.
