Posted by The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Ministry of Power have been accused by the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and political organization Afenifere of making the Nigerian people pay for their ineptitude.
The group urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene and have the Ministry of Power roll back the power tariff increase.
According to the NICKNAMES, on April 4, 2024, NERC declared that Band A energy consumers would be charged N225 per kilowatt hour, up from N68 per kilowatt hour previously.
In a statement released on Saturday by Jare Ajayi, the National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, the organization stated
The association argued that the present administration’s attempts to stimulate the economy would be undermined if firms were to cut back due to the 300 percent hike in electricity tariffs.
“Afenifere has urged President Bola Tinubu to take action by compelling the Ministry of Power to undo the current increase, explore renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, reconsider the conditions under which the 2013 exercise was conducted, and demonstrate greater innovation.”
It pondered how Tinubu’s goal of economic growth could be achieved given that the price of energy surged from N68 to N225 in the span of a day after the announcement.
It was pointed out that it was incorrect to claim that power supplied by a Band is solely used by direct enrollees of that Band.
According to Afenifere, it’s like putting the horse before the cart by demanding that those involved in the power sector guarantee that consumers receive the value of their money.
In order to show genuine concern for the Nigerian people, the government should prioritize the reliable and efficient delivery of energy before agreeing to raise prices for subpar services, the report stated.
According to an approximate calculation, the monthly cost for Band A service, which was formerly N50,000 (based on N68 per kWh), would now be N170,000. Take note of the growth!
Notably, the Ministry and its agency, the NERC, prioritize the interest in income generation over the primary goal of guaranteeing a consistent and efficient supply. All of this runs counter to the assertion that government agencies are concerned about the plight of the Nigerian people.