The Member representing Ezeagu/Udi Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Barr. Sunday Cyriacus Umeha has called for a downward review of the hike in electricity tariff by the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in the face of the current hardship in the country.
Umeha made the call on Thursday, 18th April, 2024, during a meeting of the House Committee on Power with other relevant stakeholders in the power sector to look for way of of providing a cost-effective power supply to Nigerian homes and businesses against the backdrop of the recent increment in electricity tariff.
The lawmaker bemoaned the timing of the increment against the backdrop of current economic realities and the attendant inflation arising thereof.
He also feared a situation where the consumers placed under ‘Band A’ don’t get to enjoy the quantum of power promised under it, and also wondered what the implication would be for consumers outside the Band, in circumstances that might become discriminatory.
Whilst acknowledging the market-conditions that might have informed the tariff increase, he reiterated that the timing was inauspicious and reeked of a transfer of government and other stakeholder-obligation to an already over stretched consumers.
In their response, the Ministry of Power through its representative, contended that the increment in the tariff was necessitated by the need to engender more stability in the electricity market and further assured that this would improve the quantum of power transmitted to the general public.
