Electricity vandals’ days numbered as NERC invokes tracking app, ‘Hawk Eye’
If demonstrations carried out during the launch were anything to go by, activities of vandals and energy thieves in the electricity industry may be a thing of the past on implementation of the software application.
Explaining more on why the agency came up with the solution, the acting Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Dr. Anthony Akah, said the use of the software would enable electricity distribution companies in the country to record a significant decline in power theft and vandalism.
Represented at the launch by the Deputy General Manager, Engineering and Standards, Mr. Abdul Mohammed, Akah said the app would transform the manual reporting system that was already established in the electricity industry by NERC.
The software, Hawk Eye, developed by Web Assets Nigeria Limited, enables electricity distribution companies to address challenges of infrastructure, such as vandalism resulting from the theft of transformer parts and loss of revenue due to power theft, according to the firm.
He said Hawk Eye would enable mobile phone users to report different types of crimes including service complaints, stressing that users could select crime types, capture and send videos, images or text messages of the crime, the firm said, adding that the crime report would be directed to the responsible security agencies for immediate response.
In his remarks, the Chairman, Web Assets Nigeria Limited, Mr. Kayode Aladesuyi, said about 30 per cent of power loss in the country was attributable to power theft.
He expressed appreciation to the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, whom he said insisted that the software available for download on Google App store should be made free for every user in the country.
He also said that the software would be applicable to other areas including security and financial crimes as it could be used to send reports to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
“We are excited to launch this project with Eko Electricity and Abuja Electricity. The industry needs user support to arrest the issue of power shortage; close to 30 per cent of power shortage in the country is due to utility theft, vandalism against power infrastructure.
“For most customers complaining about utility rates, they should keep an eagle eye on neighbours illegally tapping into utility poles. This is a chance for each of us to key into the present administration’s change agenda to upturn our security alertness.”
Earlier in his comments and goodwill message, the Managing Director of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, Mr. Ernest Mupwaya, expressed the confidence of the company in the new software to assist in checking crimes in the power sector.
