Alleged exploitative billing: CPC set to prosecute Benin Disco for disobeying summons

The Consumer Protection Council (CPC) is to commence prosecution procedure against Benin Distribution Company for violating its enabling Act in the ongoing investigation of the activities of the country’s distribution companies (DISCOs), following consumer complaints.

The Council’s action came on the heels of the non-appearance of the Benin Disco without sufficient reason before the Council’s panel instituted to investigate complaints by consumers on estimated billings and non-provision of metres.

Benin Disco was expected to appear before the panel on Wednesday by 10am, in line with a schedule of appearance agreed upon with the representatives of the Disco at their meeting with the Council on Monday, September 7.

The Disco, like its counterparts, was also expected to have forwarded some documents that would aid the Council in its hearing by Friday, September 11, even though the date was shifted to Monday, September 14, for all the Discos, pursuant to a plea from the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED) for more time for the submission of the documents.

Though the Council’s panel began its sitting on Tuesday, September 15, with the appearance of Ikeja and Kaduna Discos before it, but the Benin Disco disobeyed the summons by not appearing before the Panel as scheduled and neither did it send in the requested documents.

Emmanuel Ataguba, the panel’s chairman, while announcing the Council’s decision to his panel members and representatives of ANED present at the aborted hearing, said the action of the Benin Disco was a clear violation of the Council’s enabling law.

According to Ataguba, “I am satisfied that on 7th September 2015, Benin Disco was served with the Summons to attend the Council’s hearing on the 16th day of September 2015 to provide documents and information.

“They are not here and there is nothing on record to explain their absence, neither have they submitted any document. This conduct is contrary to Section 18 of the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) Act, which provides criminal sanctions for such conduct and the Council shall take immediate steps to ensure the prosecution of the Chief Executive and principal officers accordingly in the Federal High Court.”

Inundated with consumer complaints on exploitative electricity billing, the CPC had, in a letter dated August 26, 2015 and signed by its director-general, Dupe Atoki, summoned all DISCOs in the country to a hearing on alleged outrageous billings, based on estimated consumption.