In recent weeks we have seen videos making the rounds on social media, of
DisCo workers being attacked by irate customers in the course of their work. Scenes of electricity workers being beaten, ladders pulled out from underneath them, dogs being set on them are nothing new. These behavioural responses to perceived injustice have been happening well before privatization and have continued till this day, even though they may be less prevalent now. It is not too much to say that 3 out of 5 electricity consumers have had altercations with power utility workers.
This behaviour is totally unacceptable: two wrongs, they say, never make a right. While these actions stem from accumulated anger as a result of the poor service delivered by DisCos, it is inhuman and absolutely ridiculous to transfer aggression in this matter on the utility workers.
Yes, there are scenarios where a customer receives little to no power supply over the course of a month, then he/she is furnished with an exorbitant monthly bill for the abysmal power supply, and finally a disconnection attempt without prior notice or due process. This can be infuriating and rightly so, but this does not empower them to jettison the appropriate redress channels and take matters into their hands.
In resolving this issue, the collective effort of the DisCos, the customers, and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) is required!
The DisCos need to do something to establish customer trust and change customer attitude towards them. Service delivery needs to improve! This entails developing a customer based approach; a business model where customer satisfaction takes priority over revenue collection.
As electricity consumers, we need to understand that no matter how we feel about DisCos’ poor service delivery, attacking their staff is not the right thing to do. Not only is this action criminal, it does not address the underlying service delivery issues.  Customers need to be educated on the right ways to obtain redress whenever they feel they have been wronged by DisCos.
NERC needs to make sure that customer complaints are handled seriously and speedily and the erring DisCos are sanctioned rather than given a free rein to trample on consumer rights.
While reinforcing consumer responsibilities, the DisCos should as well be held to the same standards and responsibilities enshrined in the electricity code to ensure that consumer rights are not trampled on.