Follow Us on Google
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Generating Companies (GenCoS) and other players in the energy sector are urging the federal government to increase electricity tariffs in the country to enable them meet up their business costs.
According to them, government must stop subsidizing electricity and let those who can pay for it do so.
Fielding questions from newsmen on the sidelines of the Quarterly Presidential Business held at the State House Conference Center, Abuja, the Vice Chairman, Mainstream Energy Solution, said the GENCOs have asked for a meeting with the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo together with the Minister of Finance, CBN governor and Minister of Power to sort out these issues which are currently posing as an impediment to the free flow of their business.
“Whether government likes it or not they have to review power tariff in this country all those playing politics with it that they do not want to increase people do not want to hear of this.
“This is my cell phone, you pay for it even before you make use of it. And nobody is controlling their tariff they charge what they want and all of us we have at least one cellphone, therefore government needs to do the needful, if government wants power then they cannot continue subsidizing for people, you were there when the Minister of Power was saying that people who have ability to pay will pay but those government needs to subsidize will be subsidized for” he said adding that “so many people are talking about the review of the privatization of power without knowing where we started from, where are we today, are we owed money or are we not owed money, this monies some of it belongs to the banks, some of it belongs to us, where are we today? That is why we cannot discuss with the Acting President here in this assembly, we asked for a private meeting where serious decisions could be taken.
Funtua who noted that power is cardinal to any economic development in any nation, said the GENCOs could not afford to continue the way they are going noting “we are producing power, government cannot pay because they have no business paying, you are consuming power you want the government to pay for you, its not right, you are using cellphone government is not paying for that, you pay for it yourself, we are used to wastage of power, you leave your living room and leave the power on, if you know you are paying the right tariff you will switch the power off”.
According to him, there is no way the government can continue to pay for power as “they will keep on piling up the debts to a point where you will push the power producers to the wall that they cannot produce anymore.
“I give you an example, we are producing hydro water electricity, Kainji and Jebba our cost is very low what government is paying, they are paying N11 per kilowatt hour but when it is gas
they pay N22 naira for the same kilowatt hour, you understand the implication there but the person who is producing with gas is buying
the gas at what price? So government have to try to remove their hand from this sector completely anybody who want power should pay for it, people do not want to hear about this and I know people are going to abuse me but one has to speak the truth, we are all Nigerians”.
