I want to thank President Goodluck Jonathan for slashing electricity tariff by 50 per cent. It again shows he is a listening President.
Recently, I had added my voice to those of other Nigerians through an SOS to President Jonathan published in this newspaper on the astronomical bills being issued from the electricity distribution companies otherwise known as discos to consumers. Even the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria added its own voice to the matter.
President Jonathan acted swiftly, much to the relief of long suffering Nigerians, to direct the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission to reduce the tariff.
But it seems the discos are slashing the bills grudgingly. What the Federal Government intended with the slashing of the electricity bills is that there is a genuine reduction in tariff, not window dressing as it seems the discos are doing.
As I stated in that letter, those who are on prepaid who use air-conditioning systems, and even pump water for commercial purpose pay on average N4000 a month.
Instead of the discos to reduce my “normal” bill by half, it “reduced” my “craziest bill” by half! It was N18,000. Now it is N9000. Half of our minimum wage!
Those I spoke with said even with the reduction, the bills are still unreasonable and that they will not pay for what they did not consume. Already it was reported that consumers in the Papa Ajao area of Mushin in Lagos protested against the high bills and illicit activities of the Eko Electricity Distribution Company, Mushin Business Unit, and this was barely 24 hours after the reduction was announced.
Perhaps, the discos wanted to increase the tariff to a “certain level” without knowing how to do it. So, they thought of raising it way up above their intended tariff, knowing Nigerians will cry out for a reduction. Perhaps, what they call “reduced” is actually where they wanted to “raise” the bill to! But that will not work.
There are still so many problems with the electricity distribution companies. Up till now, the N10,000 bill I paid to the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company’s Abule Egba Business Unit in December, has still not reflected. All I hear is, “They are working on it.” Many people are complaining of the same thing.
All the same, Thank you, again, Mr President, for your kind gesture. But the discos must reduce the bills further. Not based on crazy estimates, but by a fair amount as compared with what those who own prepaid meter are paying, pending when prepaid meters will be given to all consumers.
As a suggestion, electricity bills as estimated for those who do not have prepaid meters should be reduced to no more than N1500 for residents, at worst N2000, depending on the residence. That, with improved power supply, will win the hearts and minds of Nigerian electricity consumers who have long lost faith in the system.
When you go to shop, are you told to pick what you want and pay what you can pay? But the electricity distribution companies tell you to “pay what you can pay.” There is no transparency with them, and they have lost their credibility.
Instead of addressing this, the electricity companies are kicking against the reduction in tariff. In an election year, it is left to be seen who are more powerful between the electorate and the capitalists!
My candid advice to the discos is for them to be “foolish” for once and see how it turns out for them. Perhaps, they should engage the consultants who thought out cheap airfares.
Business is about turnovers. They will not make money by over-labouring the few people who are paying, what they call “passing the bulk to “paying” consumers for losses incurred from “non-paying” consumers.” They are losing more money that way. But they will make more money if the bills are so low, that it is not only easy for all to pay, but also cool to pay.
Who said all the discos have to have one tariff? Each company can be given the autonomy to woo its customers with its own tariff as obtains with the telecoms. They can also give their customers freebies if they pay regularly.
Finally, infrastructure needs to be upgraded so that electricity generated really reaches Nigerians. We should also make power generation from coal real. We should protect our gas pipes better and possibly plead with gas pipeline vandals to desist from destroying them, even if it means “negotiating” with them, to giving them “amnesty.”
Dr Odoemena is a medical practitioner based in Lagos, Terafema.blogspot.com, Twitter: @cuzdetriumph
