From: Lukman Olabiyi
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), on Tuesday, threatened to sue the Federal Government (FG) over failure to make available pre-paid meters to the majority of Nigerians.
According to a statement signed by the group’s Executive Director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (SAN) was called upon to use his good offices and leadership position to urgently re enforce directives to electricity distribution companies (DISCOs) to provide free pre-paid meters to Nigerians, and end the use of patently illegal and inordinate estimated billing across the country.
“Take this step within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter, failing which SERAP will institute appropriate legal proceedings to compel the discharge of your ministerial and statutory duty in this matter in order to ensure completion of metering of unmetered customers and total abolition of estimated billing in the country”, the letter read.
In a letter dated May 22, addressed to Fashola, SERAP had expressed “Concern that while countries like Zambia are subsidising electricity payments to enable consumption by socially and economically vulnerable groups, this government is implicitly promoting the use of unjustifiable estimated billing, and increasing consumer costs.
“The use of estimated billing is marginalizing Nigerians living in extreme poverty, disproportionately affecting women, children and the elderly, and increasing their vulnerability to discrimination.
“Excessive billing of customers is arbitrary, unfair, unjust, unreasonable and exploitative of millions of socially and economically vulnerable groups.
“SERAP is concerned that the apparent failure of your office to exercise due diligence and effective regulatory oversight on DISCOs to ensure full compliance with your directives to provide free pre-paid meters to Nigerians has denied millions of customers regular and uninterrupted access to electricity.
“It’s the responsibility of this government and your ministry to ensure that the privatisation of the power sector does not impair in any way, shape, or form access of Nigerians to regular and uninterrupted electricity supply by among others activ promoting the provision of pre-paid meters to all Nigerians particularly the socially and economically vulnerable groups.
“Nigerians should not be penalized by disconnection or denial of access to electricity because they cannot pay unwarranted estimated bills.
“It’s unlawful for DISCOs to disconnect electricity supplies on the basis of unpaid estimated bills.
“This government and your ministry bear responsibility for the failure and/or refusal of DISCOs to provide free pre-paid meters to millions of Nigerians.
“Several years after the country’s power sector was privatized, millions of Nigerian households particularly the socially and economically vulnerable sectors of the population continue to complain about outrageous bills for electricity not consumed, and poor power supply from distribution firms.
“Despite several directives and deadlines by both your office and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission for DISCOs to provide free pre-paid meters to customers, our information reveals that millions of electricity users across the country remain unmetered”.