Anger As NERC, Kaduna Disco, Consumers Meet On New Tariff
Electricity consumers in Kaduna on Tuesday vented their anger on the proposed hike in electricity tariffs across the country.
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commissioner organised a public hearing which held at the Asaa Pyramid Hotel, Kaduna.
Vice Chairman, NERC, Sanusi Garba, said at the public hearing that commission organised the interface to receive inputs from Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company and electricity consumers on proposed review of tariffs.
A cross section of the consumers, who specifically accused the electricity distribution company of indiscriminate billing and insensitivity, alleged that the Kaduna Disco was very corrupt.
An aggrieved consumer, Saleh Mohammed, said the perception of Nigerian electricity consumers of the electricity distribution company very bad in terms of corruption.
He, therefore, urged NERC not to approve the proposed tariff because the company had yet to show serious commitment to the management of power distribution.
Chairman, state chapter of the Association of Professional Printers of Nigeria, Koko Clement, in his submission, said any new tariff coupled with the reviewed 7.5 Value Added Tax already imposed by President Muhammadu Buhari regime, would be an added burden on Nigerians.
He said the association vehemently opposed any new tariff.
“The printers’ association of Kaduna State said the new tariff is unacceptable to them,” he said.
Another consumer, Abubakar Aliyu, noted that the company was yet to show the capacity to remain in the power business, saying that residents could only accept any new tariff when their homes were installed with prepaid meters.
The Head of Corporate Communications of the Kaduna DISCO, Abdullahi Abdulazeez, said it was unfair and unacceptable for the consumers to equate the company with the police.
He said 70 per cent of electricity consumers failed to pay their bills and that the company had to be aggressive to collect what the company was owed.
Kaduna Disco has Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara as its franchise states.
