Wadata Media and Advocacy Centre (WAMAC) an NGO, with the support of MacArthur Foundation, held a Town Hall Meeting to amplify the Fight against Corruption in Local Languages with a theme: “Issues of Systemic Corruption In Public and Private Sectors: A Deep Dive Into Ellectricity Sector in Ondo State” held on the 10th of June, 2023, at Continent Hotel, Alagbaka, Akure, Ondo State.
Participants were drawn from the Media, Civil Society Organizations, Community-Based Organizations, Religious and Community leaders as well as the National Orientation Agency {NOA}, the Federal Road Safety Corps {FRSC}, Market Women association led by the Iyaloja of Ondo kingdom and People With Disabilities (PWDs).
At the end of the Town Hall meeting the following resolutions were made to fast track the Fight Against Corruption through Community Participation as follows:-
- The Town Hall meeting commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for signing into law an Act to reduce the monopoly of electricity Generation, Distribution and Renewable energy.
- Community leaders and participants called on the people to take the menace of corruption in all sectors with utmost seriousness.
- The meeting called for more awareness on the manipulations by Electricity Distribution Companies (EDC’s) particularly the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) on estimated billings and metering manipulations to defraud electricity consumers.
- Participants of the Town Hall meeting called for effective regulation of the electricity sector by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to curtail excesses by the Electricity Distribution Companies on estimated billings.
- The meeting urged Community Based Organizations (CBO’s), Journalists and the society to report alleged corrupt practices and extortions by Electricity Distribution Companies to NERC and anti-corruption agencies.
- Participants observed the level of extortion by EDC’s and called for investigation and intervention of refunds for purchase of transformers and accessories by consumers as demanded by DISCO’s.
- The participants denounced malpractices of Distribution Companies (DISCO’s) on metering by asking consumers to pay for PREPAID meters or repairs of faulty or obsolete meters.
- Finally, the meeting urged participants to grow beyond Town Hall meetings to be ambassadors of anti-corruption.
This communique was made this day 10th June, 2023 at Akure, Ondo State.
ZUBAIR A IDRIS
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/PROGRAMMES MANAGER
