Senate calls on FG to stop planned electricity tariff increase

The Nigerian Senate has called on the federal ministry of power to halt the planned electricity tariff increase which is expected to commence in July 2020.

The upper chamber during plenary on Tuesday, May 19, pointed out that the planned increase will compound the hardship Nigerians are facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Vanguard reports.

The lawmakers complained about the poor power supply in Nigeria. During a debate on a motion titled, power sector recovery plan and the impact of COVID- 19 pandemic, the Senate president, Ahmad Lawan, said that it is disappointing that power supply in the country is poor despite the huge sums of money spent so far on the sector. He said the Senate will investigate the huge sums of money spent so far to improve the power sector without adequate results.

Lawan said Nigeria should consider canceling the privatisation process completely so that the country does not suffer lack of power for another 10 years. “We expected efficiency and something better. DISCOS have no capacity to supply us power. We shouldn’t continue to give them money. They’re private businesses. We need to review this whole thing. Something is wrong,” he said.