The Senate has directed the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) Federal Ministry of Power and Electricity Distribution Companies, DISCOs, to suspend forthwith the implementation of the 45 per cent increment on electricity tariffs and revert to the status quo.

The lawmakers also directed its committees on labour and power to organise a public hearing, involving all stakeholders on the matter with a view to arriving at an appropriate pricing of electricity tariffs in the country.

These resolutions were arrived at, following a motion by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Labour, Senator Suleiman Nazif on “The urgent need to stop the increase in electricity tariffs by power ministry, NERC and the Distribution Companies, DISCOs”, during yesterday’s plenary.

The lawmakers however turned down one of the reliefs in the motion, which sought to direct the Senate Committee on Labour to carefully review the law establishing NERC, with the principal aim of establishing a strong regulatory body that will ensure proper and pocket-friendly billing system in such a way that consumers and investors will be treated fairly and equitably.

The House of Representatives last December also passed a motion asking NERC to halt the proposed new tariffs. But last week at the National Assembly, Power, Works and Housing Minister, Babatunde Fashola, stated that the National Assembly could not stop NERC from the proposed tariffs increment because the act setting up the Commission, gives it the mandate to do so.

In his lead presentation at the Senate plenary, Nazi observed that the increment was only intended to protect the investors and not to serve the interest of Nigerian masses, who were already battling with the prevailing economic recession.
Source: National Mirror