The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission recently gave power distribution companies the liberty to increase tariff, arguing that without sufficient investment in the sector, the nation cannot be guaranteed steady power supply.
Already suffocating from economic hardship made worse with the removal of subsidy from petrol by the Federal Government, Nigerians from all walks of life, have described the recent hike as totally unacceptable.
At a recent power sector dialogue which was held in Abuja, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen pledged to sponsor a bill for mandatory consultation on power-related matters between the parliament and relevant stakeholders.
“I will sponsor a bill to provide administrative procedures that entrench proper consultation and legislative review of the process for tariff setting in Nigeria’s electricity and other public services,” Mr Abbas said.
Speaking exclusively with our correspondent in Abuja, a member of the Power Committee, Sunday Umeha said as the people’s representatives, the lawmakers would not fold its hands and allow arbitrary increment in electricity tariff go unchallenged.
Umeha who represents Ezeagu/Udi Federal Constituency, Enugu State, noted that though the President Bola Tinubu-led administration may have its share of the blame, the parliament is in a hurry to intervene in the interest of Nigerians.
He said, “We are trying to have legislative intervention in the challenges affecting Nigeria’s migration to a multi-tier electricity market. We are coming out with resolutions on how to have a middle ground between the power stakeholders and the Nigerian masses are not happy with the timing of the recent tariff increment.
“Today, we are battling with the economy. Nigerians are hungry and going through a lot of challenges. The increment of tariff in Band A will have a ripple effect on the rest of us.”
Umeha who doubles as the Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Justice also noted that though not all electricity consumers are affected by the hike in tariff; the burden, he said, would be passed on to them in no distant time.
“If you look at it carefully, you will see Band A consumers as a group making use of power for industrial purposes. If they pay higher, they will add this cost on their outputs and push the same to the masses.
“So, we are looking at a framework on how best the interest of the masses can be protected,” he added.
Speaking on the interface between the committee and the regulator, Umeha said, “What NERC told us was that if this tariff increase is not allowed, the power sector will totally collapse. The government has its problem because they are not subsidising as required.
‘In March, they gave a bill of N2.6bn and the government ought to pay N2.4bn but they didn’t. The Discos paid their N20bn as expected. Yet, NERC is saying that the over N2trn is being owned to the power sector.”
According to him, there is a revolution ongoing in the sector already particularly with the Electricity Act 2023 which empowers States to generate and distribute their own electricity.
“We have passed the stage of just talking and doing conferences. Enugu and Ekiti States have gotten the go ahead and we can see the work that Geometric Power is doing in Abia State. This is an indication that we are in the right direction,” Umeha further said.