The House of Representatives has asked the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to halt plans of the proposed increase in electricity tariffs based on demands by the 11 electricity distribution companies (DisCos) in the country.
The Legislature’s resolution was sequel to the adoption of a motion by House Deputy Minority Leader, Hon. Aliyu Sani Madaki, after serious deliberations among the lawmakers.
The lawmakers, while debating the motion, decried the inability of the DisCos to meet operators’ 5,000MW yearly threshold but had the temerity of demanding increase in tariffs.
While noting that the latest demand by the DisCos is causing serious apprehension among electricity consumers, especially business owners, the Legislators advised the power sector regulatory commission to discontinue its ongoing plans to effect changes to the subsisting tariffs.
The lawmakers described the proposed increment as inappropriate and insensitive, particularly
at a time when Nigerians are yet to come to terms with the increase in petrol prices.
It would be recalled that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had in June asked the Federal government to shelve the plan to increase electricity tariff by 40 percent from first of July, describing it as insensitive and callous.
The NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, in a statement, noted that the DisCos had failed to improve electricity supply in spite of sundry supports extended to them by government, including their inability to meet the threshold of 5000 megawatts.
The labour leader maintained that the issue of capacity to pay and quality of service delivery remained not only germane but superior to any rationalisation by market logic, adding that from the contending issues, there have been underground increases of tariffs by the DisCos without notice in violation of statutes.
The NLC President also expressed workers’ concern about the inherent risk in the new regime of tariff which clearly showed that “there is no control, implying that by August, consumers might still pay new rates”.
