The Federal Government has said that it will sanction any electricity distribution company or its representatives selling meters or asking Nigerians to pay money to get the item.
The Special Adviser to the President on Infrastructure, Ahmed Zakari, gave the warning at a stakeholders’ engagement on electricity tariff, organised by the FGN/NLC-TUC Ad hoc Committee.
Zakari said, “We have made it clear through the regulator’s direct order as well as the intervention from the Ministry of Power that these meters are to be provided to Nigerians at no cost.
“Even for meters that will be paid for through the MAP, there is a directive from the regulator to the discos that they need to find a way to reimburse citizens over time.
“If we find any disco or its representatives selling these meters or exploiting Nigerians to be able to get them, we will sanction such disco.”
According to him, the presidential directive is that meters should be made available to Nigeria free of charge and that they must be produced locally in order to create jobs and revive our industry.
“Though it is our belief that everyone will be obliged to do the right thing, we will still be vigilant and monitor developments,” Zakari said.
Also speaking, the representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Messrs Oroho’omhen Ebhommhen and Joe Ajaero respectively, said that the committee would address issues raised by the consumers and ensure that issues on electricity tariff were resolved amicably.
In his remarks, John Ayodele, the acting Managing Director of IBEDC, said that the issue of banding was being fine tuned, notwithstanding the current challenges.
Some of the electricity consumers, who spoke at the event, identified estimated billings and lack of meters as part of the major challenges facing the sector.
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