Atiku Speaks Against Increase in Electricity Tariff

The Former Vice-President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar has through a tweet described the increase in electricity tariff as “ill-timed”.

Atiku who tweeted at the early hours of Thursday, September 3, said the increment was a disregard for the challenges faced by Nigerians.

Instead of a hike in electricity tariff, the former presidential candidate said Nigerians deserve a stimulus after the lockdown.

Atiku said, “I reject the increased electricity tariffs. Coming out of the lockdown, Nigerians need a stimulus, not an impetuous disregard for the challenges they face.

“Many Nigerians have not earned an income for months, due to no fault of theirs. This increase is ill-timed and ill-advised.”

Recall NERC had surprisingly approved an increase in electricity tariff with effect from September 1, 2020.

Read Also: Nerc, Disco Officially Increase Electricity Tariff

This comes three months after the tariff hike implementation slated for July 1 was halted by the National Assembly, which prevailed on the distribution companies to shelve the date to the first quarter of 2021 due to the current economic challenges in Nigeria.

But a NERC document seen by our correspondent on Tuesday showed that electricity customers, except those receiving less than 12 hours of supply, would have to pay more for electricity starting from September 1, 2020.