NERC to order DisCos to suspend electricity tariff hike

Two days after the Federal Government and the organized labour reached a truce to suspend the increase in September 1 electricity tariff, the 11 Distribution Companies (DisCos) are yet to comply with this.

While the DisCos said they have not been ordered to do so, there are indications that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) was working on transmitting an order to them yesterday.

The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) had earlier directed their members to remain at home from Monday until their demands were met over the increase in petrol price and electricity tariffs.

But after hours of negotiations at the Presidential Villa Banquet Hall in Abuja, they called off the strike around 2am on Monday.

A source privy to this said, “we expect that the government will prompt the NERC to issue an order to the DisCos to convey the two weeks tariff suspension, but that has not been done.”

Spokesman of Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO), Ibrahim Sani Shawai, said DisCos were yet to get such directives to suspend the new electricity tariff.

We are still waiting for that order but we have not gotten it. We have been expecting the order from NERC today (yesterday) but we have not gotten it. But we are ready to comply with the order if it is given. We are still maintaining the status quo until we get the new order from NERC to say we should adjust to the previous tariff.”

When contacted, the Assistant General Manager (AGM), Government, External and Industry Relations

at NERC, Mr Michael Faloseyi, said the Commission was working on that adding that ‘hopefully by today (Tuesday) we will get the order to them.’