Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, have kicked against electricity tariff hike from July as insisted by the Federal Government last week Tuesday. Making their views known to Vanguard on the proposed electricity tariff hike in 10 days’ time, they all pointed to poor services, which have no justification for the July increment. It will be recalled that the Minister of Power, Sale Mamman, last week Tuesday made it known that the new increment on electricity tariff will take off in July, while at the ‘Investigative Public Hearing on Power Sector Recovery Plan and the Impact on COVID-19 Pandemic’ before the Senate Committee on Power. The Executive Director, SERAP, Adetokunbo Mumuni, said, “Until Nigerians start seeing electricity directly and repeatedly there is no basis to say there will be an increment in the tariff of electricity, to be talking about an increase of electricity tariff without Nigerians properly served electricity and will not be in the interest of the Nigerian people. “What they are doing now is putting the cart before the horse because services have to come and they are stable before you can be talking about the increase in charges and not poor service. “Nigerians should demand improved services and not accept tariff hike with poor services. “There should be a forensic investigation of all that has happened in terms of provision of electricity for Nigerians so that those who have culpability should be brought to justice. Let the investigation start from 1999. “If we take it from this recent democracy we have spent 20 years on, remember, Obasanjo spent so much on electricity that we cannot see electricity, so various governments have spent so much money. “A thorough investigation of all that happened must be done so that whoever is found culpable would be brought to justice. “On carrying out a forensic audit it should be in line with Buhari’s duty to do it because he is the one that said he is interested in fighting corruption situation in the country”.
Vanguard
