Negative Reactions Trail Planned Hike In Electricity Tariff

The recently announced intention of the Federal Government to increase electricity tariff in the country has sparked  reactions from various quarters with many expressing opposition to the plan.

Niger Delta Assembly, a non-governmental organization, described the plan as premature and a contradiction of the people-oriented posture of the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

National President of the assembly, Prince Samuel Ogba, who spoke to The Tide over the weekend in Port Harcourt, said “it is too early for the administration to begin to give consideration to the idea of increasing electricity tarriff without properly positioning the power sector.”

Prince Ogba, who commended the present administration for the improvement recently noticed in power supply is of the view that President Jonathan, who also is the power minister, should get the power sector well reformed first.

He added that it is only when that has been properly achieved that the idea of increase in the tariff could come.

The assembly president observed that Dr. Jonathan’s popularity has swelled since his emergence as a president because of the fact that his programmes and policies indicate considerable sensitivity to the feelings of the generality of Nigerians but regretted that the plan to increase electricity tariff is one policy that smacks insensitivity to Nigerian masses who would be adversely affected when such policy is implemented.

“I advise the president to be weary of those giving him such ill-advice because it is capable of deeming the good image of his administration,” he said.

Chief Omoka John, a Port Harcourt-based hoteler, who also reacted on the issue said, the planned increase is uncalled for, in view of the benefit government wants to achieve on its power sector reform.

“If the idea of the power reform is to reactivate good business and social life in the country, then talking about tariff increase in electricity at this early period of the reform contradicts the intended good benefit to the people,” he said.

The hoteler noted that such move has the capacity to raise doubt in the minds of the people, and appealed to the president to prevail on the authorities concerned to drop the idea.

Another consumer, Clifford Okwaraji, who also spoke in similar note, described it as the most horrible idea ever muted by the present administration.

According to him, “if the aim of the power reform for which government is recording noticeable success is to wake up moribund small and medium scale industries incapacitated by poor power supply, then the idea of increase in tariff is one done in a haste and inimical to the good people of Nigeria.”

Mrs Balogun Kemi, a Lagos-based bakery operator accepted that the increase in tariff could attract more investors but doubted if such move would lead to improvement in electricity supply in the country.

She rather suggested that the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) should raise the country’s electricity generation and distribution capacity substantially before contemplating an increase.

She recommended a thorough cleansing in Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), and accused some workers of being corrupt as electricity consumers were being slammed with crazy bills because of either incompetence on the part of PHCN officials or deliberate effort to exploit consumers.

It would be recalled that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had condemned the planned increase of electricity tariff, describing it as an expression of insensitivity and absolutely unacceptable by the congress.

The General Secretary of NLC, Comrade John Odah, in a statement in Abuja,  had advised President Goodluck Jonathan to reverse the policy, saying  it is a wrong advise.

The congress maintained that if implemented, it would amount to a death sentence being passed on the few industries that are managing to survive, and advised the government to first improve the nation’s generation and distribution capacity before contemplating rise in tariff.  

Chris Oluoh