Coalition of civil society organisations have commended the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu for his decision to ensure free distribution of meters to electricity consumers.
The commendation was contained in a statement issued by Mr Fred Ojinika and Mr Tunde Olaoye, officials of the Nigerian Human Rights Community (NHRC)—a coalition of 130 civil society and community-based groups across the country.
The statement was released in Abuja on Tuesday.
In the statement, the group said the minister’s decision was in the best interest of Nigerians.
”The minister of power, had said that the meters were procured under the World Bank-funded Distribution Sector Recovery Programme and must be installed for consumers free.
” The meters were expected to be free, Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) continue to extort Nigerians between N200,000 to N350,000 from Nigerians as fees for meters,”it said.
Describing the statement as the ‘best new year gift’, of the minister, the coalition said the pronouncement has received full support from the civil society, industrialists and all electricity users
“The decision is in favour of energy consumers.
”’The minister has taken the right decision. It helps democracy and economic justice in Nigeria, it said.
The group said its offices across the country had been inundated with complaints of exploitation and deliberate destruction of meters, either through intentional power surges or physical damage, in order to force electricity consumers to accept estimated billing.
”They are not partners in progress of Nigeria. Many of them are obstacles to the progress of Nigeria.
”At present, they are indirectly instigating the Nigerians masses against the Federal Government through arbitrary billing and imposition of cut-throat tariffs on Nigerians.
”This has forced many Nigerians to abandon electricity for either solar, lantern or even candles.
“Even those who use electricity are afraid to put on their fans, security lights and other relevant equipment in their homes,”the statement said..
