Some electricity consumers in Awka, Anambra, on Wednesday appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to compel Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to stop its planned new electricity tariff regime.
The consumers, who made the appeal in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Wednesday, said that the increase was “ill timed”.
NANreports that Dr Sam Amadi, NERC Chairman, had on March 27 announced that the commission would introduce new electricity tariff on June 1.
A tricycle operator, Mr Fabian Okeke, said that many Nigerians were still struggling to cope with the effects of the new price regime of N97 per litre of fuel.
“Since the price of fuel was increased from N65 to N141 and later reduced to N97 per litre, life has been very miserable for ordinary people in the country.
“The most annoying aspect of it is that no filling station, apart from the NNPCMega station, has agreed to sell the product at the approved price per litre.
“Many dealers still sell between N110 and NII5 per litre, and this has led to a hike in the prices of goods and services in all parts of the country.”
He opined that many Nigerians were living below poverty level, adding that new electricity tariff would compound the sufferings of Nigerians.?
Also, Miss Favour Kanayo, an undergraduate at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, said that the planned tariff increase would further impoverish Nigerians.
Kanayosaid that the nation electricity supply was epileptic and unreliable to warrant any increase in tariff at this material time.?
“The government should not inflict additional pains and hardship on us and our parents because we are still suffering from the effect of recent increase in fuel price.
A civil servant, who pleaded anonymity, said that the tariff increase was uncalled for, as Nigerians had yet to see any improvement in the power supply.
“PHCNkeeps sending bills to consumers every month for the electricity we do not enjoy,” he said.
The civil servant urged the president to prevail on NERC to stop the new electricity tariff.
Amadi, at a meeting with electricity generation companies in Nigeria, said that the new tariff, tagged: “Multi-Year-Tariff-Order”, would not affect low income earners.
According to him, the tariff would attract more investors, as power generation would increase in the country.?