Reps ask NERC to stop hike in electricity tariff

The House of Representatives on Tuesday asked the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission to stop‎ its plans to hike electricity tariff this month.

The House passed the resolution in Abuja as it also ordered an investigation into NERC’s “frequent increases” of tariff.

A member from‎ Kano State, Mr. Ali Madaki, who raised the issue under matters of urgent public importance, noted that there was no justification for asking already impoverished Nigerians to pay higher tariff on power that they did not enjoy.

He told the House that higher tariff was a “burden” on the people at a time of poor electricity supply.

Madaki recalled that only in November, Nigerians received “scandalously high bills” reflecting about 400 percent increase for consumers.

He argued that while people were yet to come to terms with the “usually high tariff,” NERC was again proposing a further hike in December.

The House resolved that NERC should “with immediate effect, stop the planned increase in electricity tariff, pending the outcome of the investigation.”

The investigation will be conducted by the House Committee on Power.

The lawmaker described as “fiasco”, government’s projection to generate 4,000 megawatts of electricity by 2008 and up to 16,000megawatts by 2011.

He told the House that almost seven years later, the country was not nearing 4,000MWs.

“If the proposed increase is not stopped, its multiplier effects on the economy cannot be quantified,” Madaki said.

The motion was passed in an overwhelming majority voice vote by members.