Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has voiced strong opposition to the Federal Government’s purported plan to extend the recent electricity tariff hike beyond Band A consumers to other categories of Nigerians.
Falana criticized the move, asserting that it unjustly burdens citizens and violates legal provisions.
Appearing as a guest on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Falana addressed the controversy surrounding the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC)’s decision to increase tariffs.
He argued that the tariff hike for Band A consumers, implemented on April 3, 2024, lacks justification under the Electricity Act of 2023. Falana warned of potential legal action to seek redress for affected Nigerians.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria accused the government of holding Nigerians accountable for the inefficiencies and mismanagement within the electricity sector. He pointed to the removal of electricity subsidies in 2022 and alleged that the tariff hike serves to compensate for the shortcomings of those overseeing the sector.
Under the new tariff structure, customers classified under Band A, who receive 20 hours of power supply daily, will face a significant increase from N66 to N225 per kilowatt-hour.
This development has sparked widespread criticism, given the immediate impact on consumers amid prevailing economic challenges.
Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu attempted to assuage concerns by stating that only 1.5 million out of approximately 12 million consumers would be affected by the tariff hike.
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).
Falana said, “Under that law, there are certain steps to take and we are going to embark on those steps tomorrow (Monday) which is to raise serious objections with respect to the impunity that has characterised the recent increase.
“At the appropriate time if there is no response, we will have to go to court because the government had warned, the minister had warned that the increase this time around will only fetch the government or the discos N1.6trn whereas the destination is N3trn.
“So, the poor people that he (the minister) is talking about, the other bands, very soon, the government is going to extend the increases to them so that the N1.4trn the minister is talking about will be recovered.
“They (the government) are increasing tariff to assist the cash-strapped discos majority of which have now been taken over by the banks and AMCON, and the banks and AMCON have no competence to run electricity companies.”
Expressing his resolve to challenge the tariff hike through legal avenues, Falana pledged to raise objections and pursue court intervention if necessary.
He emphasized the need for accountability and transparency in the implementation of policies affecting the welfare of Nigerian citizens, particularly in critical sectors such as electricity provision.
