By Olayemi Esan
ActionAid Nigeria has
called on the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to halt
the planned electricity tariff increment.
It also urged the NERC to
uphold its values of transparency, fairness, and accountability by
ensuring continuous consultation with the masses while protecting
consumers’ rights.
The country director of the non-governmental
organisation, Mrs Ene Obi, made the call in a statement made available
to newsmen on Tuesday.
She decried the alleged resolution of NERC
directing the 11 Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) in the
country to increase their tariffs from Sept. 1.
Obi said the
increment would further erode the purchasing power of Nigerian workers
in formal and informal sectors and impoverish more Nigerians.
“The
increase in electricity tariff is not only ill-timed but insensitive to
the plight of Nigerians whose lean disposable incomes are already
decapitated.
“ActionAid’s position is hinged on the premise that
previous hikes in electricity tariffs had not translated to effective
and regulatory strategies to manage the impact of such hikes on
macro-economic indices affecting end-users that are currently
economically crippled and trapped,” she said.
