AEDC’s image redeemed

Last Saturday in this space, I gave the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) the length of my tongue over the unfair treatment two of its staff were sent to give me on March 19, this year, in a piece entitled ‘How AEDC nearly ruined my day’. As I recalled in that piece, it was not the first time an electricity outfit would treat me badly.

Let me state from the outset that I don’t joke with my bills, be they electricity or water. I am also not in the habit of failing to renew my vehicle particulars or my driver’s licence whenever they are due. I hate being embarrassed by folks of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) or even the Nigeria Police  Force (NPF) who no longer have any business checking vehicle particulars except when vehicles are reported missing. 

Years back in Jos as NEPA or National Electric Power Authority traumatised me for a whole month, refusing to fix a fault that cut off power supply to my flat, the erroneous impression was that I was indebted to the power outfit which would have given it the authority to bypass my flat.  I did everything possible to have the power restored. First, I lodged a complaint by filling a form. I followed up the complaint repeatedly by filling more forms. But the more forms I filled, the more my complaints were ignored.

When I could no longer cope with the shame of being seen as a perennial NEPA payment defaulter especially at night when other flats in the neighbourhood had light, I wielded my pen in my column in the Sunday Standard of Jos which I entitled ‘NEPA, am I a LEPER?’ The question was why NEPA should avoid my flat as though I was a LEPER (my emphasis).

The public relations officer (PRO) of the Authority saw the piece on the day of publication and promptly swung into action. The next day being Monday, the image maker rushed down to my office and demanded to see me. To cut a long story short, he profusely apologised for the treatment and asked me to lead him and the team of technicians that accompanied him in his car to my flat. The technicians played God, so to speak, and commanded: ‘Let there be light’. And there was light instantly. The fault that took about a month to fix was rectified within a few minutes!

In a manner reminiscent of the reaction of NEPA to my plight in Jos, the AEDC’s General Manager, Corporate Communications, Mr. Oyebode Fadipe, came to my rescue on Sunday, March 24, barely 24 hours after reading my lamentations of the March 19 treatment. He called to acknowledge my grouse, apologised profoundly and promised to act on it promptly. He also assured me that my faulty pre-paid metre, taken away since August, last year, would be replaced immediately. I did not believe him. He asked the area manager of the Kubwa Branch of the AEDC to link up with me so as to facilitate the replacement.

The area manager, Mrs. Pamela Chidobelu, put a call to me the same day. She apologised profusely and requested me to see her in the office the next day, Monday, March 25, 2019. She also said I should arm myself with photocopies of my last bill and my National Identity Card. I did. As soon as I arrived at the Area Office and announced my presence, she personally came down from her office upstairs and led me up. She collected the documents and promised that my metre would be fixed by the close of the day. Then, I said to myself, ‘If I believe that, then I would believe anything!’ 

On my way out of her office, I sighted one of the senior female officers named Mrs. Joy Maduagwu who gave me a fantastic reception when I went to lodge a complaint about the March 19 treatment. I never knew such a courteous and committed officer could still be found in the system. I could not help telling the area manager about her rare work attitude. Small wonder she is called Joy!

By the close of the day, I got the shock of my life when a staffer of the area office called me, requesting the description of my estate so that they could come and install the pre-paid metre. This must be a huge joke, I had said to myself. Nevertheless, I granted his request and headed back home.

A few minutes after I got back home at about 4 p.m., a team of technicians, conveyed in a Hilux van, surfaced at my flat. The doubting Thomas in me vanished instantly when they heaved the new, sweet-looking pre-paid metre into the open. So, it was not an illusion, after all? The metre was promptly mounted, bringing my week-long encounter with the AEDC to a pleasant denouement. In fact, their coming made my evening… just as their March 19 visit nearly ruined my day.

The bottom line of the whole saga is that things can work in this country efficiently and seamlessly if people are made to do their jobs. It is all about efficiency, good management, materials, manpower and motivation.

The challenge of rhotacism

I was at a popular eatery in Maitama during the week when a couple came and sat close to me. From their heavy accent and pronunciation, I knew they were Tivs. I had a good number of Tiv friends while living in Jos. I remember one of them named Tony Jov. He never stopped amusing me whenever we entered into a conversation, mixing letter ‘L’ with ‘R’ and vice versa. Intermittently, he would start with ‘You see, Crem…’. Then he would go on like this: Ragos for Lagos, Rokoja for Lokoja, lat for rat, Austlaria Australia, Rondon for London, ragoon for lagoon, etc.

But the Tivs are not alone. The typical Hausa/Fulani also have pronunciation problem. They would exchange ‘F’ for ‘P’ and vice versa… like feople for people or pollow for follow.

The Yoruba are proud of their language as being complete. But they lack alphabet ‘Z’, hence you hear Saria for Zaria, sebra for zebra, Simbabwe for Zimbabwe, or other pronunciation problems like Shokoto for Sokoto, Shuleja for Suleja, congratulashon for congratulation(s), sould for should, etc.

The Igbo have all the alphabets. But the problem with a typical Igbo man or woman is that they speak other languages with Igbo accent.

And what about a typical American?! You will hear him pronounce City as Ciri.

Look out for other tribes with a challenge of elocution and let us share the fun!

Have a paburous (fabulous) weekend.  

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