The Coordinator, Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Prof. Abdulsalami Nasidi, said more than 600 Nigerians registered as volunteers in the international team to control Ebola Virus Disease in West Africa. He made the disclosure while fielding questions at the 2014 ministerial press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday. He said the volunteers comprised health workers, journalists and others. Nasidi said Nigeria remained committed to supporting the control of Ebola spread in West Africa, hence the number of volunteers registered to join the fight against the disease. The coordinator, however, did not give the exact date when the team would commence its assignment but said Nigeria was prepared to lead the international response team. He said “I want to announce to this gathering that over 600 Nigerian doctors, nurses, laboratory scientists, field epidemiologists and other categories of experts, including journalists, have registered to join the international team on Ebola. “This strong team is an indication that Nigeria is committed to leading the fight against Ebola in West Africa.’’ The NCDC coordinator said that the Federal Government’s Treatment and Research Group had helped in developing a national response plan, stressing that implementation of the plan would soon commence. He added that the national plan was conceived to help Nigeria to prepare in the event of an outbreak of the disease in any part of the country. According to him, Nigeria now has a strategic plan in place that will guide workers in controlling any outbreak of Ebola and other emerging diseases in the country. The coordinator said that the plan put together was in acknowledgement of the fact that Nigeria was still at risk of another outbreak of the disease. He added that until the last reported case of Ebola in the world was brought under control, Nigeria would not relent in its efforts to combat the disease. The Federal Government had offered the services of the coordinator of the NCDC to lead the international response team to other parts of West Africa. (NAN)

In other to ensure effect billings on electricity supply consumption to customers, the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) has announced plans to roll out about 500,000 electricity pre-paid meters to customers who are presently being billed without meters through estimation in the next three years.

The MD/CEO of IKEDC, Mr Abiodun Ajifowobaje, disclosed this at the weekend during the inspections of the management team to the company’s customer’s forum interaction meeting held in 15-business district units of IKEDC.

Ajifowobaje said that plan has been concluded to ensure effective metering of customers within the network, adding that official roll out of the meters we kick start before December.

According to him, two main challenges has been confronting the company, which is, effective metering of customers within the network and quantum of energy received from the national grid by the company, which  has been at the front burner and we are  looking for way to finding lasting solution to it.

Ajifowobaje, said that the company, instead of receiving energy daily supply of 1,250 mega watts from the national grid, is actually receiving between an average of 350 to 450 mega watts.

He also decried the spate of vandalism on the company’s installations and facilities.

“I am however happy to report that IKEDC is involved in ongoing talks with several partners to explore supply from embedded power generation, Independent Power Projects and other sources to improve supply.

“We are equally working on a robust metering model that will promote transparency in billing and eradicate energy theft, this, posed serious challenge us but before December we are going to come out with policy on way to improve power supply to customers.

“we have carefully studied with the challenges facing maters and we have come out with comprehensive approach on effective metering.

“Even now that we have not officially roil out meters, the company had installed over 5,000 pre-paid meter to customers at no cost since we took over the company,’’ he said.

Ajifowabaje, said that about 136,000 customers within the company had been installed with pre-paid meter to date, while about 36,000 were caught and discovered to have been bye-passing meter which posed a serious challenged to the company.

He said that customers with obsolete and malfunctioning meters would also have them replaced, adding that the company had made significant progress in its quest to ensure a robust metering system that would enhance accuracy in billing.

The IKEDC boss said that the management has come out with a robust methodology plan that will address all challenges facing bye-passing of meter by customers.

The IKEDC boss said that additional security will be added to the new pre-paid meter planed to be installed in area that is observed that usually tempering with the meter.

“Our first phase plan is to ensure that about 300,000 pre-paid meter is roll out by December, while about 500,000 to 600,000 meter is targeted to be installed and replaced faulty ones in the next three years.

Speaking on challenges facing the company on vandalism, Ajifowobaje stated that IKEDC, buoyed by over N1 billion released by the board to drive quick wins had been spent to date d on rehabilitation of vandalised transformers, replacement of undersized overhead conductors, completion of abandoned distribution projects and reduction in estimated billing issues.

According to him, IKEDC had also centralised its billing system to drive accuracy and introduced the Automatic Meter Reading system which drives remote access to meters for efficiency and effective monitoring.

“We have injected about N1billion to improve electricity supply through the completion of the ongoing network expansion and rehabilitation projects within its network.

The IKEDC boss said about 40 vandalised transformers had been repaired and installed to boost electricity supply, while about 115 abandoned transformers projects were almost completed in various sites.

He said about 40 transformers that were faulty had been rehabilitated, while the 52 vandalised transformers had been restored back to the system.