The Patriotism Awareness Forum (PAF) has applauded the intervention of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) over the purported plan by electricity distribution companies (DISCOS) to phase out UNISTAR electric meters by November 14, 2024.
The group said the intervention of the two federal government agencies has quelled the fear and anxiety of millions of Nigerians sparked by the thoughtless, rash and inhuman decision and sees this as indicators of the President Bola Tinubu administration commitment of zero tolerance to the exploitation of Nigerians by business entities.
In a release issued in Lagos and signed by the Convener, Nelson Ekujumi and Co-Convener, Peter Claver Oparah, PAF stated that the intervention of NERC and FCCPC are timely, as Nigerians have been disturbed and unsettled by this abrupt decision of the DISCOS, which would have unleashed economic and psychological pain on the populace if the decision was allowed to be implemented. It cautioned DISCOS to refrain from over-heating the already heated Nigerian polity with decisions that are bound to provoke a revolt from Nigerians.
“We note that NERC, through its Vice Chairman, Musliu Oseni countered the brash notice from DISCOS by stating that no official directive had been given on the phasing out of of Unistar meters, even as they are bound to be phased out. We note that in his statement, he made it clear that DISCOS are bound to REPLACE the Unistar meters at no cost to consumers and that on no condition should any customer be placed on estimated billing or denied access to electricity whenever the meters would be phased out”.
“Similarly, PAF notes that FCCPC under the able and dynamic leadership of Mr Tunji Bello has intervened through its Director of Special Duties and Strategic Communication, Ondaje Ijagwu, in a statement recently wherein, he stated that the costs for the replacement of the Unistar meters should not be passed to consumers during the phase out period as DISCOS are bound to REPLACE the Unistar Meters and not force consumers to buy them. He equally warned that consumers should not, for whatever reasons, be forced to pay estimated billings vowing that ‘We (FCCPC) cannot allow consumers to be unfairly charged or placed on estimated billing. This would be a violation of existing regulations’.
“PAF salutes the intervention of these two federal government agencies for being alive to their statutory obligations against the arbitrary, harsh and thoughtless decision of DISCOS to unleash such inhuman policies against Nigerians at this particular time. We see the threat of the DISCOS to force Nigerians who were not able to buy new meters to replace their Unistar meetings by November 14, into the corrupt, obnoxious estimated billing as retrogressive and callous. According to PAF, “We thank both NERC and FCCPC for coming to the rescue of Nigerians by insisting that on no account should Nigerian consumers be placed on either estimated billing or denied access to electricity for reasons of the phasing out of Unistar meters.
“We want to remind the DISCOS that electric meters are their property hence the position of both NERC and FCCPC that they should REPLACE the Unistar meters with new ones and not pass the costs to consumers. We therefore expect the DISCOS to seamlessly and quietly swap the Unistar meters with the new meters without creating deadlines or issuing notices and moratorium about it. That is how it should be!
“Once again, we commend NERC and FCCPC for their timely, decisive and patriotic intervention on this matter and we see this as a testimonial of the President Tinubu administration responsive and responsible commitment to the welfare and well-being of Nigerians. We urge the NERC and FCCPC to ensure that the DISCOS fully comply with their directives and not subject Nigerians to unnecessary pain and exploitation at this period of economic challenges”.
