Electricity Consumers Hail Tariff Hike Judgement

Electricity consumers in
Port Harcourt have hailed the Wednesday ruling of a Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos State declaring as illegal the recent hike by 45 percent on electricity tariff by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), an agency of the Federal Government.
Some consumers who spoke to The Tide on the issue viewed the judgement as landmark and expression of national interest.
Miss Sotonye Harry said, “The verdict or judgement is a visitation of God to save innocent Nigerians from the hands of those who do not wish them to survive.”
Harry, a graduate of Marketing from the University of Port Harcourt said, “as a marketing graduate, while you consider your profit, you must first of all consider the quality and quantity of the product you are presenting to your customers.”
She noted that while the distribution companies, for whatever reason have failed to deliver services through improved power supply, it was wrong for anybody or whatever agency to consider increasing the tariff by 45 percent.
“Tell me, how can you justify such an increment. Where lies the interest of your customers who happen to be citizens of the country”, she asked.
Mr. Melford Columbus, a businessman described the judgement as a welcome development noting that, “where the Federal Government through NERC had abandoned the interest of the citizens, the court had come to the people’s rescue.
“How can you pay for what you are not enjoying? Supply is poor and because of epileptic supply most businesses have grounded and those managing to operate spend so much on alternative power supply and somebody is forcing you to pay 45 percent increase for what. May God bless the Judge for delivery such judgement. He has saved Nigerians especially those in the poor class,” he said.
Another respondent, Chidinma Okafor, a Primary School teacher said, “when I heard of the judgement, I said can such good come to Nigeria? I commend the Judge for such courageous judgement.
My idea of NERC is that the agency was created to also represent the interest of Nigerians but the commission is yet to do it. All it does especially during the administration of the past officials was joining the DISCOs to undo the masses.”
Okafor urged the power distribution companies to design better ways of improving services to the people before thinking of any hike in tariff.
She appealed to the Adhoc Committee on Power at both arms of the National Assembly and relevant NGOs not to allow the excesses of NERC and the DISCOs for the interest of Nigerian suffering masses.
In similar reaction, Ebi Tari, a student of the University of Science and Technology Nkpolu/Oroworukwo lauded the judgement and urged the DISCOs to refund the consumers whatever they have collected from them in excess.
“NERC was in a haste to announce the new tariff, even when there was litigation on it.
Even when the National Assembly directed it not to increase the tariff, it bluffed all these agencies. It must not be allowed to take whatever that was paid in excess following the increment. They should rather refund the people,” he said.
Tari who called on the Federal government to review the privatization of the power sector noted that the activities of the electricity distribution companies were suspect.
“There is need to have another thorough look of that privatization exercise. I refuse to agree with the Minister, Babatunde Fashola, that it would amount to breach of agreement. That agreement appear not to be in the interest of Nigerians who are forced to pay for services not rendered, he  said.

Chris Oluoh