MORE than 48 hours after the Federal Government directed that electricity tariffs be reverted to the old rates, Distribution Companies (DisCos) have not complied.
Their reason is that a directive to that effect had not been received from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
But the NERC said it was working on how to get the DisCos to comply.
“We are just typing the memo to inform the DisCos to stop the new tariffs and revert to the former one. The statement will soon be out,” NERC, chairman James Momoh told The Nation in Abuja yesterday.
Momoh explained that the regulator could not issue the directive immediately the Federal Government reached the agreement on the matter with the labour leadership because the meeting held on a Sunday.
Since the announcement of the new power rates which came into effect September 1, consumers and stakeholders have been chiding the government and the DisCos over the development.
Labour unions had threatened to commence strike on Monday over the increment before they reached a truce with the Federal Government for a two-week suspension of the new rates.
Our correspondents in Abuja, Lagos, Oyo, Rivers, Edo, Enugu, Plateau and Adamawa states reported that consumers on pre-paid meters have been paying the new rate since September 1..
Those on post-paid meters may however enjoy the two-week relief as they will pay their September bills in October.
While some of the electricity distributors said they were awaiting the NERC directive, some simply kept mute.
At the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC ) vending outlets in Byazhin Across, Kubwa, N1,000 could buy only 20.4 units of power instead of the 38.3 units of the 2015 rate.
One of the vendors said the “AEDC has not reverted to the former tariff.”
The Nation’s attempt to ask the company’s General Manager, Corporate Communications, Mr. Oyebode Fadipe, , proved abortive as calls put across to him rang out.
Head, Corporate Communications, Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company, Felix Ofolue, also did not respond to several calls put through to his mobile telephone number. He didn’t respond to a text message sent to him over the issue.
At the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), a senior official directed The Nation to contact the Association of Electricity Distributors (ANED, which he said speaks on behalf of the DisCos.
ANED’s Executive Director, Research and Advocacy, Barrister Sunday Oduntan, in a telephone interview ,however, explained that as law abiding organisations, DisCos have no choice than to comply with its regulator’s directive.
“As operators, we must comply with whatever decisions our regulators give us. Therefore, for us, since we have been directed to revert to the old tariff, we have no choice than to comply; so we won’t disobey directives issued to us,” Oduntan said.
When contacted, the Media Relations Officer, Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), Busolami Tunwase said the company was ready to comply with any directive from NERC.
“IBEDC is a law abiding company, the Service Reflective Tarrif (SRT) came onboard by NERC order,therefore the suspension is also done by an order from NER,.” she said.
Head, Corporate Affairs of Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), Tayo Adekunle, said they had not reverted to the old rates.
Adekunle said; “We have not been advised by our regulator, the NERC. Besides, electricity billing is within a monthly cycle.”
At the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED), its spokesman, John Onyi, said they would obey any directive from NERC.
“We are waiting for a circular from the regulatory commission concerning the agreement. We are law-abiding and immediately we receive further directive from NERC, we will surely implement it”, he said.
Head of Communication, Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) , Emeka Eze, also said the company was waiting for directive from the power regulatory agency.
He said: “The directive to increase the tariff came from NERC. It is only when they direct us we will revert.
So we are waiting for their directive.
“There is still time since it is two weeks ultimatum. As I am talking to you now, NERC and our directors are meeting on the issue. The outcome of the meeting will decide whether to revert or not.”
Eze colleague at the Corporate Communication of Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, Abdulazeez Abdullah, said: “We are going to revert to the old tariff, but we are waiting for directive from our regulators. We cannot just take instruction from press releases or media reports. We are a highly regulated company and it is NERC that directs us on what to do.
“You will recall that, even when the President (Muhammadu Buhari) announced that, we were going to start implementation of new tariff by September 1, we didn’t just start implementing until we got directive from NERC.
“So, we are waiting for an order from NERC. We are ready to implement it, that is not a problem, but we need to be told to do so by our regulators.”
At the Jos Electricity distribution Company, its Head of Corporate Communications, Friday Elijah, said: “We are aware of the changes but we are still waiting for the implementation guidelines from NERC.
“This is because, we operate in a highly regulated industry and so must be properly guided by the regulator.”
In Yola, the Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) said it had not received instruction to revert to the old power regimes.
It assured its customers I that it would comply once it received a directive from NERC.
“We operate as indicated any given time by the relevant authorities. We will without hesitation revert to the old rate the moment we receive instruction from NERC,” said the Corporate Communications Manager of the company, Mr Kingsley Nkemneme.
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