The House of Representatives has urged the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission NERC to compel Distribution Companies (DisCos) to stop arbitrary billing of electricity consumers immediately.
This followed the adoption of a Motion by Hon. Afuape Moruf, calling NERC to address challenges confronting electricity consumers.
The House also urged the NERC to sanction the DisCos for the abysmal electricity supply to consumers, and work out modalities to compensate communities, individuals and other private and public entities for their investments in the distribution network.
While leading the debate on the Motion, Hon. Moruf expressed dismay that the 11 DISCOs across the country have continued to render abysmal poor services to consumers, contrary to the Electricity Act, 2023. He stated that it was a more worrisome that consumers pay DISCOs for meters, cables and transformers, yet they are disconnected at will by the former.
He also said “NERC has watched helplessly while communities, individuals, and corporate organisations assumed the responsibilities of providing electricity transmission facilities (meters, cables and transformers) where they are either not available or repaired, where the same are faulty. Whereas, the Commission can act within the ambit of its own created Service Charter that outlines consumer rights, obligations, expected service levels, and redresses applicable to them.
In a ruling, the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas mandated the Committee on Power (when constituted) to interface with the NERC and the distribution companies (DisCos), to work and resolve limitations to provide excellent service delivery to Nigerians.
