FCCPC seals Ikeja Electric headquarters in Lagos

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has sealed the corporate headquarters of Ikeja Electric over alleged non-compliance and violation of consumer rights.

According to reports, the operation was carried out on Thursday morning in the presence of security agents.

In a video by Channels Television, staff of the company were sent out as officials of the commission placed the building under lock and key.

The DisCo confirmed the development, saying it is engaging the FCCPC to ensure other customers are not affected by the shutdown of its headquarters situated in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos State.

FCCPC’s Director of Surveillance and Investigation, Bola Adeyinka, said the enforcement was carried out in line with the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018, following repeated engagements that yielded no compliance.

“Sealing this facility is a proportionate enforcement measure taken only after repeated engagement and several opportunities for voluntary compliance.

“The seal will remain in place until Ikeja Electric complies fully with the directives issued by both NERC and the FCCPC and provides written evidence of that compliance,” Adeyinka said in a statement on Thursday.

According to the commission, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission had issued a binding decision directing Ikeja Electric to unbundle a Maximum Demand account into 20 non-Maximum Demand accounts.

The order, it was learnt, required the company to recognise 19 residential units and a service point owned by the complainant as separate customer units and to provide the required metering and connection.

“Ikeja Electric did not carry out that decision. Because of this failure, the complainant has been without an electricity supply for more than two and a half years.

“This was despite paying all charges requested by Ikeja Electric and meeting every obligation.
“The lack of electricity has prevented the complainant from putting the 19 residential units to use,” it was stated.

The commission said it engaged Ikeja Electric several times, including notifying the company of the outstanding NERC decision.