FG raising money for cash-strapped DisCos – Falana

Adebayo Obajemu

Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), has stated that the federal government through the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) is planning to extend electricity tariff hike beyond Band A consumers to other Nigerians categorised under other bands.

Falana, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, said the recent tariff increase for Band A consumers by the government cannot be justified under the Electricity Act, 2023. He threatened to approach the court to seek redress for Nigerians.

The senior lawyer argued that the federal government removed electricity subsidy in 2022 and so the government, by the new tariff hike, is making Nigerians pay for the inefficiency and profligacy of those managing the electricity sector.

Recall that NERC had on April 3, 2024 raised electricity tariff for customers enjoying 20 hours power supply daily. Customers in this category are said to be under the Band A classification. The increase will see the customers paying N225 kilowatt per hour from the current N66, a development that has been heavily criticised by many Nigerians, considering the immediacy of the tariff hike and the current hardship in the land.

The minister of power Adebayo Adelabu subsequently said the new electricity tariff hike would only affect only 1.5 million of the about 12 million consumers in the sector.

However, Falana declared electricity subsidy as non-existent, and alleged that the government is trying to raise funds for cash-strapped electricity distribution companies (DisCos).