Stakeholders in the electricity value chain, including consumers, community representatives, electricity professionals, electricity service providers, and the regulator, gathered in Yenagoa to share ideas on improving electricity service delivery in Bayelsa State.
The event was the first BYERA Electricity Service Clinic, which gave participants the opportunity to present their complaints, seek solutions, addressed challenges affecting electricity supply, exchange information, among others.
The event, held at the DSP Alamieyeseigha Banquet Hall, Ovom, Yenagoa, had the theme: ‘Working together to make reliable electricity a reality in the state.’
Delivering the opening remark, Austin Adigio, chairman of the board of BYERA, said reliable power is the engine for jobs, healthcare, education, and small-scale businesses that drive the economy.
Adigio maintained that as long as the light was stable, Bayelsa would prosper, making possible the realisation of the vision of the state governor, who christened his administration the Government of Prosperity.
The BYERA chairman called on participants, especially electricity consumers, to be open-minded in order to get solutions and answers to their electricity-related issues.
Dr. Rosalyn Dressman outlined the responsibilities of electricity generators, distributors, consumers, and the regulator, calling on consumers to exercise restraint in dealing with electricity components, as they are restricted to electricity facilities in their homes.
The place and role of the electricity customer were identified as indispensable in the electricity value chain by the resource persons at the clinic. They therefore emphasised that meaningful engagement is essential to improving efficient service delivery to customers.
The participants gained significant knowledge as electricity concepts among them, network performance, feeder upgrades and availability, band systems, energy capping, metering, billing systems, tariffs, and others, were broken down into terms that could be easily understood by the layperson.
There was also an interactive session, during which panelists responded to customers’ questions and concerns.
Resource persons at the event included General Mamager of BYEDC, Nosakhare Okoro; Chief Strategy Officer of PHED, Obinna Okeke; Head of Metering, PHED, Mr. Bonsomeh Sorgwe; Head of Customer Service, PHED, Mrs. Adanma Ugwuegbu and Head of Market, Competition and Rates of BYERA, Dr. Cameron Waigha.