THE National Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, has again shocked Nigerians with yet another increase in electricity tariff. The new regime is expected to commence today December 1, 2021.
THE body said that the price upswing was urgently required to maintain industries viability. The commission working in cahoots with the inefficient Electricity Distribution Companies, DISCOs, have put another burden on Nigerians. A wound that will take long time to heal.
IT is a notorious fact that NERC has increased electricity tariffs five times since 2015, the sixth one takes off today . Despite public outcry, the interventions of National Assembly and labour unions, that certain conditions like constant electricity power supply and appropriate metering system need to be put in place for consumers to be convinced to pay more, nothing has been done by NERC and the electricity companies. They are only concerned with plunging homes into darkness, depriving them of prepaid meters, adding more burden on them with estimated billings, and thereby forcing them to pay for power that was not used.
NEEDLESS to say the increase apart from be unjustifiable is uncalled for at this auspicious time of global and national economic challenges. The Hope expects that NERC, electricity companies and the Federal government should have suspended the proposed electricity tariff and give Nigerians breathing space as a result of diminishing income for essential food items, transport increment, increment in house rent and several others. The proposed electricity tariff increment is to say the least a betrayal of trust on the part of the federal government to Nigerians. The present government has failed to keep its promise to meter all houses in Nigeria and ensure constant electricity supply before any increase is done but regrettably federal government raised electricity meter prices by over 60percent.
DETAILS of the increase shows that a single phase meter rose from the current cost of N44,896.17 to a revised price of N58,661.69. It also increased the price of a three phase meter from the current cost of N82,855.19 to a revised rate of N109,684.36. This has traumatized Nigerians.

THE federal government should therefore be reminded that people are already being chocked to death because of the hardship in the land and latest increase is a deep cut too many. We enjoin the government to prevail on the DISCOs to provide commensurate services to the people rather than indulging in exploitative tendencies capable of provoking social and industrial unrest. Nigerians are already hard pressed with too many sufferings and a little spark might lead to a conflagration. The federal government must fulfill its promise to provide free meter to every home and nothing must be done to rescind this sacred promise. This is the right time for the FG to show empathy to the common man by stopping the increment and ending the tyranny of the DISCOs and add values to the lives of Nigerians.
OUR position is that the current economy in Nigeria may not accommodate electricity tariff hike as lots of Nigerians are economically handicapped. The frequent increase in electricity tariff by NERC has not delivered efficient power supply to Nigerians as many people still live in darkness and paying for power not provided.
IF the FG allowed the proposed electricity tariff to stand, with the National Bureau of Statistics figures on raising food inflation, the increase may further push more Nigerians into poverty.
IT is high time the government reviews the performance of the electricity companies and those not performing up to expectation should be shown the way out by withdrawing their operating license. NERC has become an albatross too, its operation should be overhauled.
THE HOPE pleads that the proposed hike be suspended until all houses and structures in need of meters are metered.
FINALLY, the National Assembly should intervene by tasking the federal government to direct NERC to rescind its decision on the proposed electricity tariff increment in view of the current hard times the masses are going through.