The decision of the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola on the hike in power tariff is to be rescinded following a court ruling against the questionable increment.
In respect of a Lagos Federal High Court ruling on the 45% hike in electricity tariff, the National Electricity Regulation Commission and electricity distribution companies maybe forced to revert to the old price, according to the Punch.
Justice Mohammed Idris has declared illegal the hike in electricity tariff as it failed to comply with the Electricity Power Sector Reform Act 2004.
The judge declared the decision of the defendants to embark on electricity tariff hike as hasty and ordered immediate reversal to the status quo.
He also awarded a cost of N50,000 against the respondents in favour of the plaintiff in the suit. The suit was filed last year May by a Lagos-based lawyer, Toluwani Adebiyi, following announcement of proposed electricity tariff hike by the then Chairman of NERC, Dr. Sam Amadi.
Adebiyi had urged the court to stop any hike in electricity tariff until there had been a meaningful and significant improvement in power supply to at least 18 hours in a day in most Nigerian communities.
Justice Idris had since May 28, 2015 restrained NERC from giving effect to the proposed hike pending the determination of the suit.
In his final judgment in the suit on Wednesday, the judge berated the commission for embarking on the proposed tariff hike despite the court order.