ABUJA – Electricity consumers in the FCT on Tuesday called on the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to ensure that distribution companies provided stable power supply and not tariff increase.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”10″]
NERC on Dec. 23 approved a review of the Multi Year Tariff Order (MYTO) 2 regime with an implication for takeoff date for a disciplined electricity market by Jan. 1. [pro_ad_display_adzone id=”10″]
The commission’s Chairman, Dr Sam Amadi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the review was aimed at improved service delivery.
According to him, the distribution companies are now expected to implement their investment plans for metering and strengthening their networks.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”10″]
Some of the consumers said that what the commission should have done was to prevail on distribution companies to provide stable electricity supply before increasing tariff.
Mr Curtis Abba, a sachet water producer, said that the decision by NERC to increase electricity tariff was like putting the “horse before the cart’’.
“The NERC as the regulator in the sector should have ensured that distribution companies provide stable power supply before reviewing tariff.
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“I think increasing electricity tariff at this time when Nigerians are still trying to adjust to the economic situation in the country is not proper,” he said.
Abba explained that the issue of non provision of prepaid meters to consumers was a factor precedent to the review of electricity tariff.
“If you notice, most consumers have complained bitterly about the issue of estimated billing by distribution companies which can only be solved by prepaid meters,” he said.
Mr Sylvanus Ocheme, a civil servant, said that NERC had not done enough to protect the interest of consumers.
“As a regulator, I expect the commission to monitor the activities of the distribution companies closely to ensure that they fulfill their promises of stable power supply to Nigerians,” he said.
He said that the commission must ensure that the new companies did not operate like the old NEPA and PHCN.
Ocheme said that increasing tariff would not be a problem if electricity supply was stable.
Mr Nnamdi Obilor, a furniture maker, said that NERC was not doing much for consumers because the commission was protecting the interest of distribution companies.
He said that so many consumers had lost money to the distribution companies through alleged “unscrupulous billing”.
Obilor explained that if the commission was truly created by law to regulate the sector, consumers would not be suffering in the hands of the companies.
According to him, the operations of distribution companies are not different from the defunct NEPA and PHCN.(NAN)
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