The federal government (FG) has vowed to penalise power distribution firms (DisCos) that fail to provide Band A consumers with 20 hours of electricity, News About Nigeria reports.
This was said by the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, on Wednesday, following the hike in the electricity tariff.
Recall that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) recently increased the tariff for users in the Band A category from N66/kWh to N225/kWh.
Band A consumers are those who consume electricity for at least 20 hours per day.
The NERC had ordered the distribution companies to comply with the new directives, ensuring that all customers were informed of their respective categories on April 11.
The regulatory commission warned that failure to comply with the new directive by the Discos would attract sanctions and penalties.
The Minister of Power, in response to the claim by NERC that Band A users would have access to 20 hours of electricity, said that the FG would hold them responsible if they failed to fulfil their promise to users.
He further noted that the FG is closely watching the NERC and would ensure that they don’t just collect money from Nigerians without fulfilling their promise of 20 hours of electricity, which was the reason for the hike.
Adelabu also revealed that five out of ten power transformers have been installed and commissioned, indicating that the presidential power initiative’s pilot stage is practically finished.
He added that the “next phase involves upgrading the capacity of the transmission network. It will involve upgrading existing transmission substations, upgrading transformers, and reconducting and installing transmission lines.”
