Reverse Unlawful Electricity Tariff Hike – SERAP Tells Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to order the Minister of Power, Goddy Jedy-Agba and the chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Prof. James Momoh to urgently reverse the hike in electricity tariff which took place in December 2022.

The group referred to the increase as unlawful, unreasonable and unjust.

SERAP also urged Buhari to “ensure the investigation of the spending of public funds as ‘investments and bailouts’ by successive governments to electricity distribution companies (DisCos) and generating companies (GenCos) since 2005.”

It also wants the President to ensure the prosecution of cases of corruption and mismanagement.

SERAP disclosed this in a letter at the weekend and signed by its deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare.

The organization also said, “the increase in electricity tariff failed to follow due process. It’s entirely inconsistent and incompatible with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 [as amended], the Electric Power Sector Reform Act and the country’s international human rights obligations.”

It added that “millions of Nigerians continue to live in darkness despite the spending by successive governments of trillions of naira as investments and bailouts to electricity companies.”

Recall that after reported approval by the NERC, electricity tariffs were increased across DisCos in Nigeria last December.