Nigeria Content Online

The Consumer
Protection Council is making plans to stop the Nigerian Electricity
Regulatory Commission and the Power Holding Company of Nigeria from
arbitrary billing of Nigerian consumers of electricity over services
not enjoyed. Its Director General, Ifeyinwa Umenyi, told journalists on
Wednesday in Abuja.

She said a survey
conducted by the council shows that it has become a tradition with the
PHCN to always bill consumers of electricity on what they referred to
as maintenance charges, as far as the consumers are connected to the
PHCN national grid.

“This maintenance
fee is irrespective of whether such consumers use electricity or not.
It also observed that neither the NERC nor the PHCN carries out any
such routine maintenance on the consumers’ meters,” she said. “Nigerian
consumers should be treated with all sense of respect, without which
services and products will not, in the first place be found in the
market place.” She said discussions are ongoing with the NERC over the
issues, as survey carried out revealed that consumers repeatedly keep
making the same complaints over the ill treatment meted on them by
officials of the PHCN.

“The meters are
collected and the consumers made to pay again, the same amount to
obtain new ones. That is where and when they are available,” she said.
“What the PHCN or NERC refers to as maintenance fees will be
eliminated, as there is no basis for such fee since no routine
maintenance is being carried by the agencies.”

No provision for charges

But a senior
official of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, who pleaded anonymity
in a telephone chat, explained that the charge was necessary because
the technology is new and is still being tested.

Asked whether the
company has provision for a refund when meters are not maintained, he
simply said, “there is no provision for that.” Mrs Umenyi however
hinted that the enforcement functions of the council will be restricted
until the National Assembly decides to pass the council’s amendment
bill currently before it into law. She said there are hopes over the
passage of the bill in the nearest future, as it has already scaled
through second reading at the upper chambers of the National Assembly.

“By then, we will be able to carry out enforcement function at optimal level,” she said.

“I am sure it will soon commence. I have taken the pains to speak on
the bill with some law makers. I have met and they have seen reason for
quick passage of the bill.”