By Peter Okolie

The Imo Electricity Regulatory Commission (ISERC), on Thursday, said it received 242 complaints and resolved 115 cases between July 2024 and September 2025.
The Chairman of the commission, Mr Bede Opara, disclosed this during the commemoration of this year’s World Energy Day in Owerri.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the celebration is “Transitioning to Cleaner and more Sustainable Energy Sources”.
Opara said that many other complaints were resolved by service providers, while some complainants later withdrew their complaints.
According to him, most of the complaints centered around billing and meter availability.
“ISERC is there to take care of your complaints, but if you consume one unit and got the bill for 10 units, let the commission know.
“Beyond complaints, we are making sure that the consumer does not shortchange the electricity provider and that the provider does not shortchange the consumer, especially in the area of billing and tariffs,” he said.
Opara said that the theme of the event “resonates with the important fact that energy is the lifeblood of modern societies, driving economic growth, powering industries, enhancing healthcare,and touching every aspect of our lives”.
He affirmed the commission’s dedication towards “facilitating a commercially viable, sustainable, efficient, affordable and reliable electricity market in the state.
“We are also aware that transitioning to renewable energy, like solar and wind, reduces environmental impact and aligns with global sustainability goals,” he said.
The chairman commended Gov. Hope Uzodimma for his leadership role, while also commending the commission’s partners for their commitment in shaping the energy landscape of the state.
In a speech, the lawmaker representing Owerri North Constituency in the state Assembly, Mr Kelechi Offurum, lauded the partnership between the legislature and executive arms of government in driving the success in the electricity sector.
Offurum, who is the Deputy Chief Whip of the House, said that the partnership gave birth to ISERC in the state.
He said: “Energy sector is vital to the growth and development of the state.
“We are also working optimally to ensure that communities still battling with electricity issues start to enjoy power as we did recently in some parts of Ngor-Okpala.”
He pledged more legislative support needed to boost the commission’s efforts, especially in the area of renewable energy.
In a keynote address, the Director, Spaces for Change, a non-governmental organisation, Dr Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, spoke on the new energy landscape in the country and the transition from fossil fuel to renewable clean energy as well as their benefits for Imo.
Ibezim-Ohaeri, who spoke on “Transitioning to Cleaner and More Sustainable Energy Sources: The Need to Boost Imo Electricity Market,” said gas flaring, if properly managed, could boost the economy, electricity and job creation for youths.
She charged ISERC to fashion out ways on how Imo could benefit from the large natural gas deposit as well as renewable energy sources in the state.
Delivering a lecture, entitled “Understanding the dynamics of positioning Imo electricity market for renewable energy”, an energy expert, Prof. Sabbas Asoegwu, underscored the importance of awareness in the use of renewable energy.
Asoegwu also highlighted some of the challenges in the power sector to include power generation and sustainability in the electricity value chain.
He further listed the lack of diversity in the country’s energy mix and overdependence on non-renewable sources as some other challenges facing the sector.
He underscored the need to integrate renewable energy through solar, biomass and small hydropower as vital solutions for closing the electricity gap in the country. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
OPC/USO
Edited by Sam Oditah