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By Oluseye Ojo
A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Amb Abayomi Mumuni, has called on all the 11 electricity distribution companies in Nigeria to provide meters for Nigerians before implementing tariff increment.
Mumuni, in a statement signed by his media aide, Rasheed Abubakar, and made available to journalists on Tuesday, argued that increasing tariffs without providing meters would be yet another way to defraud the Nigerian people.
The 11 concerned companies are the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), Enugu Electricity Distribution Plc (EEDC), Ibadan Electricity Distribution (IBEDC), Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC), Jos Electricity Distribution (JEDC), Kaduna Electricity Distribution (KAEDCO), Kano Electricity Distribution (KEDC), Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution (PHEDC) and Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC).
Mumuni, who formerly ran as the governorship candidate of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in Lagos state in 2011, emphasised that electricity distribution companies throughout the country have implemented tariff increases.
He believed that it is the government’s responsibility to ensure that distribution companies provide meters to their customers before implementing any tariff increases.
He warned that raising tariffs without functional meters could lead to a major crisis, particularly given the extent of poverty plaguing the nation.
His words: “Let me add my voice to the recent increment of tariff by electricity distribution companies. The government should ensure metering to every nook and cranny of Nigeria before embarking on escalating the tariffs. We should be more sensible when it comes to activation on certain aspects, especially when it has to do with ourselves as a citizen.
“Increasing tariff on the services not rendered with malfunctioning meters that reflect fraud will add to the problems faced by Nigerians.
“We should be more sincere with ourselves in Nigeria. We have read commentaries we have had from some of the failed ministers who claimed to fix the power supply of our country in a few months. It lies upon lies, they failed woefully.
“I could not remember the number of times Third Mainland Bridge was shut down during Buhari’s eight years in government but nothing to show for it on the acclaimed repairs.
“Look at what the present minister under President Bola Tinubu has put together without cut and nail job of Buhari’s ministers.
“The government should consider the metering distribution first before going into tariff increment, this will be more sensible.
“Otherwise, it may result in a big crisis considering the situation of poverty hitting deeper on the citizens.”
