By: Theresa Igata

Minister of power, works and housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola

Consumer rights advocates in Nigeria have called on Distribution Companies, DISCOs to stop fraudulent exploitation of electricity consumers or face the law.

The plea was made at a Power Sector Stakeholders and Consumers Summit organised by the Electricity Consumer Protection Forum on Wednesday in Lagos.

Speaking at the forum tagged: Five years after privatisation of Power Sector, What Next, which brought together stakeholders in the power sector and consumers across the country, the Executive Director, Consumer Advocacy Foundation of Nigeria, Mrs. Sola Salako-Ajulo, said many electricity consumers are aggrieved that they are forced to pay for electric power they did not consume and the first step to stop such exploitation remained the proper enumeration of electricity consumers and provision of meters.

“Our problem is not that they are not giving us power; our problem is that you are charging us for what we don’t consume. We must be sincere in this country. Every house should have a meter,” she said.

Mr. Adeola Ilori, the National Coordinator Electricity Consumers Protection Forum said that electricity consumers have continued to suffer in the hands of the Gencos and Discos, adding that the privatisation of the power sector had not reduced the trauma of electricity consumers, five years after.

“The money people pay for electricity is far higher than the rent. Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has not been playing its role. How long again will it take the issue of estimated billing to become a thing of the past? How long will consumers bear the cost of providing transformers, wire, cables and poles for a private profit-oriented organisation to serve them when the costs of such are already infused into our monthly tariff “?

“Our group and members are ready to defend electricity consumers against any form of oppression, deliberate and willful disobedience of extant laws. We want the consumers to know that before any consumer can be disconnected a notice has to be given after 10 days from when your bill was supplied and you did not pay and within the time of payment due date and the time of disconnection notice you have 3 months before any disconnection can take place.”

“To this effect, we will alert and educate all DISCOs and the Nigerian police will be informed that illegal disconnection from a DISCO is a criminal offence and once a consumer alert the police, they should do well to effect arrest and prosecution”.

He also added that the Metre Asset Provider Programme initiated by NERC is faulty because, “yes it is okay for us to metre but it is not okay for us to have it and it becomes the property of another person. This is contradictory and in contrast to what the constitution says concerning owning property in the land”, Ilori, a legal practitioner said.

Representatives of the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED) and the Association of Power Generation Companies (APGC), on their part, listed challenges to having uninterrupted power supply in the country.

Dr. Joy Ogaji, the Executive Secretary, APGC, disclosed that 27 Gencos had been licensed by NERC to generate power. She said that the companies had the capacity to generate more than 40,000 megawatts but that the transmission system currently cannot take more than 5,000 Megawatts

Ogaji added that the major challenge to power shortage was the transmission of the power to consumers. According to her, the Gencos have been generating between 7000 and 8000 megawatts, but could not get to the consumers due to poor transmission network.

“There has not been investment in the distribution. The transmission company cannot take more than 5000. The Gencos have the capacity to give Nigeria up to 40, 000 megawatts, but there is no network to transmit them. We have enough power. There is no avenue to pass it across to the people. Gencos are up to the task and have even exceeded the power target given to them. Government also must keep to its promises.

Speaking in the same vein Dr. Yemi Oke, an Associate Professor of Law, Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, said that Nigerians have a right to electricity, a right to properly installed and functional meters and a right to transparent electricity dealings and electricity consumers were protected under the law.

According to him, electricity services consumers have a right to report when over-billed and contest any electric bill. “It is criminal to use electricity and not pay and it is fraudulent to pay for electricity not used. The challenge of power is not that of Gencos or Discos alone, but all”.

He however called for synergy amongst players in the electricity sector if Nigerians will eventually begin to enjoy electricity and be saved from the problems being faced by the consumers. “We have a right and it should be upheld not withstanding the challenges of the providers of electricity which we are not oblivious of”.