Abia State government has demanded that electricity firms operating in the state treat consumers fairly and transparently. Ikechukwu Monday, the Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, made this clear on Thursday.
He spoke during a public consultation on draft regulations organized by ASERA. The Abia State Electricity Regulation Authority convened the meeting to gather feedback from consumers and stakeholders.
Monday stressed that customers are the backbone of any functioning economy. They deserve quality service delivered with honesty and fairness, he noted.
According to him, the consultation would help ASERA meet state government objectives in the electricity sector. Addressing consumer complaints is a key priority, he added.
"The customer is the king," Monday told those gathered. "So it's not just the key player—the customer is a very critical stakeholder."
In the past six months, significant progress has been recorded. Aba Power and Geometric deployed 120,000 electricity meters across Aba ring-fenced areas.
Abia State government plans to replicate this success elsewhere. Officials said the expansion would bring reliable metering to more residents.
Emeka Onyegbule chairs ASERA and attended the event. He explained that the consultation aimed to develop workable regulations with input from all stakeholders.
ASERA took over power regulation duties from NERC in 2025. Onyegbule promised the agency would protect both consumers and investors from exploitation.
Emeka Victor Ngwoke, a senior Aba Power official, raised serious concerns. He complained about repeated vandalization of company infrastructure by criminals.
Ngwoke appealed to state government for urgent intervention. He requested establishment of a special court to prosecute and jail arrested vandals swiftly.
