TRACKING_____The Public Forum for customers of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution company PHEDC held on Wedesday in Calabar, Cross River State capital with the customers out-rightly saying no to increment of electricity tariff until services are improved.
The Executive Secretary of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Cross River State branch, Mr Offiong Archibong during the interactive session noted that electricity is a major enabler of the nation’s economy but as its stands, there is no adequate power supply for industries to strive.
His words, “MAN members are not satisfy with PHEDC services. Most times when issues arise and the complaints get to PHEDC they fail to address such issues. PHED must do the needful and improve their services if they must get us to pay the increase in tariff”.
A representative of Cross River State branch of the Nigeria Labour Congress in his contribution vehemently opposed the idea of increasing electricity tariffs at this time saying, “it is difficult to get an improved economy without a stable power supply. Where is the accountability of PHED if they keep on collecting money for services they don’t render? We strongly demanded that PHEDC jettisons the idea of tariff increment as it is unacceptable and will cause untold hardship on citizens.”
A private consumer, Myra Bassey also expressed dissatisfaction on the on-going demand to increase the electricity tariff and opined that the decision would encourage people to steal power the more and engage in illegal bypassing which will in turn cause more problems to the PHEDC.
Before the interactive session, Mr. Ernest Edgar, Project Management Officer, representing Chief Executive Officer of PHEDC highlighted some threats of PHEDC to be frequent assault of staff, lack of access finance necessary for operations and capital investment, lack of anti-vandalism and theft law leading to high rates of energy theft through illegal tempering/damage of electric metering devices, by-passing and customers unwillingness to pay bills.
He painstakingly explained that the planned tariff increment will aid network expansion and rehabilitation, improved customers services, increase in power availability and elimination of estimated bills through proper metering.
Also speaking at the forum, Dr. Musilliu Oseni, Commissioner NERC, said this public forum is going on in different stations like Asaba for instance and the major aim of this public hearing is to collate feedback from consumers who are directly impacted by services provided by the utility and their feedback will be taken into consideration when decisions are being made on the application before the commission. What the commission will do is after collating all the feedback from all the stations, they will review the feedback then a decision will be taken by the commission.
The forum featured presentation on the technical and statutory requirements of a tariff review, presentation on the application for tariff review, interrogation of the application by intervener and interrogation of the application by other parties/consumers.
