The House of Representatives has urged the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission NERC to compel Distribution Companies ( DISCOs) to stop arbitrary billing of electricity consumers immediately.
This followed the adoption of a motion by Honourable Afuape Moruf calling NERC to address challenges confronting electricity consumers.
The House also urged the NERC to sanction the DISCOs for the abysmal electricity supply to consumers, and work out modalities to compensate communities, individuals and other private and public entities for their investments in the distribution network.
The House also mandated its Committee on Power (when constituted) to interface with NERC and DISCOs to address issues impeding quality services delivery to consumers.
While leading the debate on the motion, Honourable Moruf expressed dismay that the 11 DISCOs across the country have continued to render abysmal poor services to consumers, contrary to the Electricity Act, 2023.
He stated that it was a more worrisome that consumers pay DISCOs for meters, cables and transformers, yet they are disconnected at will by the former.
“The Distribution Companies raked in a whooping N247.33 billion in the first quarter of 2023 as against N232.32 billion generated in fourth quarter of 2022, representing a rise by 20.81% compared to N204.74 billion generated first Quarter of 2022 (year-on-year consideration). Whereas, electricity supply declined from 5,956 (Gwh) in first quarter of 2022 to 5,852 (Gwh) first quarter of 2023 (year-on-year consideration), despite the increase in earnings. The Distribution Companies have demonstrated unfaithfulness toward the social contract with Nigerians, as enshrined and enhanced by the transitional effect of the Electric Power Reform Act, 2005 to the Electricity Act, 2023,” he said.
He also said “NERC has watched helplessly while communities, individuals, and corporate organisations assumed the responsibilities of providing electricity transmission facilities (meters, cables and transformers) where they are either not available or repaired, where the same are faulty. Whereas, the Commission can act within the ambit of its own created Service Charter that outlines consumer rights, obligations, expected service levels, and redresses applicable to them.
“While NERC watches the DISCOs abdicate their responsibilities to communities, individuals, corporate bodies, and public iinstitutions, no compensation mechanism has been evolved to ensure either an outright refund of these third party investments in the distribution network or a possible conversion of same to electricity credits for the use of these ‘investors”.
In a ruling, the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas mandated the Committee on Power (when constituted ) to interface with the NERC and the distribution companies (DisCos), to work and resolve limitations to provide excellent service delivery to Nigerians.
Confidence Okwuchi
