Licensed Electrical Contractors blame Nigeria Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) for licensing unqualified persons
By Anthony Musa, Abuja
About 75 per cent of electrical materials in the country are fake and substandard, President of the Licensed Electrical Contractors Association of Nigeria (LECAN), Dr John Ekere Etim has said.
Speaking in Abuja at the weekend, Dr Etim also accused the Nigeria Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) of issuing licenses to people who are not qualified to carry out electrical projects.
The Licensed Electrical Contractors President was reacting to the decision of the House of Representatives to investigate incidences of deaths and accidents caused by the negligence of electrical safety in the distribution network around the country.
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He also alleged that Distribution Companies in the country presently lack adequate technical staff as many of the experienced ones inherited by them have been laid off, saying “they are now using mainly marketers. Somebody you see today and tomorrow you see him on the line. That is also affecting the system.”
Dr Etim decried the complacency of the regulatory agencies towards ensuring compliance with the extant regulatory framework in the industry, adding that it was unfortunate that the distribution network has become a dumping ground for unsafe electrical installation because of NEMSA’s negligence in ensuring safety in the industry.
While calling for a paradigm shift in the industry with a view to improve on service delivery and ensure efficiency, he said unlike in the past when only licensed electrical contractors do all installations in accordance with the electricity law, DISCOs now prefer the use of quacks and casual workers.
He said “that is why we have many of these accidents. They are using substandard materials that are not good for the system and that is the cause of the fire outbreak and electrocution and all the things that are happening in the sector.
“NEMSA is also to be blamed. The mandate of NEMSA is to ensure safety. They are supposed to inspect and test installation before it is connected to the national grid. But today, it’s not like that. NEMSA is charging very exorbitantly and that has now made some contractors and the DISCOs just collect money and link these substandard projects to the system.
“So you find out that most of the projects done in communities are not working and cannot stand the test of time. NEMSA is also at fault because they are even licensing people who are not qualified to be licensed because they have introduced what they called ‘Corporate license’. For the corporate license, anybody can be licenced whether you know anything about electricity or not you.”
The Licensed Electrical Contractors President also blamed the Federal Government for the influx of substandard electrical materials into the country saying the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) which is constitutionally saddled with the responsibility of certification of the equipment coming into the country have been excluded from the seaport.
“You can see the problem we are facing in the industry. There is a lot of compromises. In electricity, if you use substandard materials, it will backfire and if you use quality materials, it will last. The same thing applies to all the equipment.
“Nigerian traders who go abroad to buy materials are also part of the problem. Most of the electrical materials they bring into the country are of low quality. I can say that maybe 75 per cent of the materials are fake and of poor quality. Only 25 per cent are of good quality and the price of the good quality ones are very high.
“Some people will buy substandard ones because they want to maximise profit. That is why we are still having problems. But these substandard materials pass through the seaports where we have Customs.
“I don’t know the politics that is going on at the ports because Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) is supposed to be at the ports and other points of entry. NAFDAC is also supposed to be at the entry point where these things come through. But we find that those people are no more there because they have been removed. It’s only Customs that are now there at the ports. They are supposed to inspect, call SON to come and inspect. But you find a lot of poor quality materials coming into the country every time.”
He commended the decision of the House to investigate incidences of deaths and accidents caused by the negligence of electrical safety in the distribution network around the country as well as safety measures including the existence and role of Safety Departments of all the Distribution Companies (DISCOs).
The lawmakers during a debate on the motion on the ‘Need to ensure safety in the electricity distribution network,’ sponsored by Hon. Sani Bala, expressed reservation over the capacity of Nigeria Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) to adequately carry out its mandate of policing electricity safety in the distribution network, as well as, the overall effectiveness of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry, given the vast investment in the power sector.