Some experts in the nation’s power sector, yesterday in Lagos faulted the Federal Government’s recent increase in electricity tariff which commenced on June 1.
They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the government should have addressed fundamental issues like infrastructure dilapidation,
generation capacity and transmission of energy rather than tariff increment.
Mr Yomi Kolawole, Managing Director, Topean Energy Solution Ltd, said that there was no justification for the increment.
“Most of the transformers are faulty and needed upgrading, the lines are overloaded and the cables are failing.
“There are fallen electricity poles everywhere and the new investors are not doing anything about them.
“Increasing the tariff should have been the last thing after all these have been done, has the power supply improved? “Increasing the tariff is like ripping where you have not sown,” he said.
Kolawole said that government should be more pragmatic with the investors to make sure that they generated more power and ensure that it was steady.
“It is only when consumers are getting values for their money that they will be ready to part with additional money,” he said.
Mr Adekunle Makinde, President, Nigerian Institution of Electrical Electronics Engineers (NIEEE), said the upward review of electricity tariff might witness another round of protest by consumers across the nation.
Makinde said that consumers were not enjoying power supply because of the erratic nature of supply.
“Now that the government is compelling consumers to pay more, it might result in another round of protests.
“The consumers are already protesting against poor power supply in every area in Lagos, so why do you have to increase power tariff when the supply is not regular,’’ he said.
The Managing Director, PowerCop Nigeria Ltd., Mr Biodun Ogunleye, also urged the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to mediate between the investors and the consumers because consumers were being cheated.
“The power regulator should ensure that consumers are not cheated by the new investors,” he said.
Ogunleye urged the government to reverse the increment because electricity supply had not improved.(NAN)
Never miss a moment! Get the stories shaping Nigeria, delivered straight to your phone. Follow Peoplesdaily Newspaper on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive reports, and the headlines everyone will be talking about, before anyone else.
