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…blame NEMSA for licensing unqualified person’s
…says DISCOs laying off qualified technical staff
President of the Licensed Electrical Contractors Association of Nigeria (LECAN), Dr. John Ekere Etim has said that about 75 percent of electrical materials in the country are fake and substandard,
Dr. Etim also said that the Nigeria Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) was licensing people who are not qualified to be licensed in electrical installation as a result of the introduction of what they called ‘Corporate license’.
The LECAN President who was reacting to the decision of the House of Representatives yo investigate incidences of deaths and accidents caused by the negligence of electrical safety in the distribution network around the country.
He also alleged that Distribution Companies presently lack adequate technical staff as many of the experienced one have been laid off while using mainly marketers.
Dr. Etim condemned the complacency of the regulatory agencies towards ensuring compliance with 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 negligence to ensuring safety in the industry.
He called for a paradigm shift in the industry with a view to improve on service delivery and ensure efficiency, adding that 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.
“The issue is that they are not using the professionals to do the jobs. If you go to the DISCOs, you will find out that many of the technical staffs have been sacked. They are now using mainly marketers, somebody who come today and tomorrow you see him on the line and that is affecting the system.
“NEMSA is also to be blamed. The mandate of NEMSA is to ensure safety. They are suppose 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 to 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.”
He 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 compromise. In electricity there is no compromise. In electricity if you use substandard materials, it will backfire and if you use quality materials, it will last. The same thing apply to all the equipment.
“Nigerian traders who go abroad to buy materials are also part of the problem. Most of the electrical material they bring into the country are of low quality. I can say that may be 75 percent of the materials are fake and of poor quality;m. Only 25 percent 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 suppose to be at the ports and other points of entry. NAFDAC is also suppose 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 suppose to inspect, call SON to come and inspect. But you find a lot of poor quality materials coming into the country every time.”