LESS than one month to the implementation of the new electricity tariffs, the National Assembly may stop the exercise. The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) secured government’s approval.
Spokesmen of the two chambers of the federal legislature who spoke to Daily Sun, are unhappy with NERC, following the flagrant disobedience of a motion passed by the House of Representatives last year, instructing the agency to halt plans to increase the tariffs, pending the conclusion of the ongoing investigation of power-related issues.
Senator Abdullahi Sabi, Senate Committee Chairman on Media and Public Affairs, said the Red Chamber was yet to be duly briefed on the soon-to-be implemented electricity billing regime.
He, however, promised that the Senate will always be on the side of Nigerians. He said: “The issue is this. The Senate is yet to get the details of what the tariffs are and take-off date. You know we are on recess and it is not really good for us to make comments on issues we have not really familiarized ourselves with.
“We need to give it the benefits of doubt until we resume. Then whatever it is, we will deal with it. What I can assure you is that we are going to do what is in the best interest of this country. We are going to ensure that we do that,” he said.
On his part, the Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Abdulrazak Saad Namdas, vowed that the Lower Chamber will investigate NERC to ascertain why its motion, which had hitherto instructed it to halt electricity tariffs, was ignored.
“The House passed a motion, directing NERC to stop any tariff increase since we are investigating. We said it will not be fair for them to increase tariffs for now. Unfortunately, as their tenure (NERC) was elapsing, they decided to give Nigerians a bad partying gift by increasing the tariffs.
“Upon our resumption, we will invite them. The ad hoc committee investigating activities of NERC and the Committee on Legislative Compliance will invite them on reasons a directive of this nature was flouted. We will not take it lightly this time around,” he said.
Dr. Sam Amadi-led NERC had last month announced new charges for all consumers expected to come into effect next month. In the new regime, all electricity distribution companies are not to bill customers the fixed charge component, starting from the customers’ next round of billing. The controversial N750 fixed charge nation-wide had generated intense controversy among consumers who described it as illegal.
Under the new tariff regime, consumers would only pay for what they consume monthly. Amadi had said that the removal of the fixed charge component was in compliance with consumers’ demand for a just and fair pricing of electricity.
By the new tariff regime, residential customer classification (R2), for instance, in Abuja, will no longer pay N702 fixed charge every month. However, their energy charge will henceforth increase by N9.60 per kilo- watts per hour (Kwh). In the same vein, residential customers (R2) in Eko and Ikeja, Lagos will now pay an increase of N10 and N8 respectively.
Similarly, the current fixed charge payable by consumers in Benin and Kaduna is abolished, but they have to contend with increase of N9.26 and N11.05, respectively. In addition, the distribution companies by the new deal will now be made to strictly fulfill their metering commitments and other related service delivery contracts with NERC.
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