2nd June, 2015
Nigerians have a lot of challenges to grapple with. One of these challenges is the failure of electricity distribution companies to provide electricity. There are bitter tales Nigerians have told concerning, not just the fraud associated with the purchase of prepaid meters, but the refusal of the electricity distribution companies to deliver same months after making payments. With many Nigerians not knowing who actually to report to, they have had to live with the burden of paying for the inefficiency of the electricity distribution companies.
To acquire these meters, there are processes to follow. And this is made known to customers upon a visit to any of the distribution companies also called DISCOS. In some cases, the customer only realises that there are no available meters after payment had been made. Once a customer pays for the prepaid meter, it is expected that he is exempted from paying bills till the meter is supplied since it would amount to punishment on his part. However, this is not often the case. Many Nigerians are forced to continue to pay bills for many months and even years before the meter is supplied.
In the absence prepaid meters electricity distribution companies also rip off electricity consumers through estimated billing. This has been going on for decades and the situation has persisted because electricity distribution companies do not want to replace analogue meters with prepaid meters that could check arbitrary and outrageous charges.
We believe that this impunity has been allowed to flourish because those who ought to enforce sanction have turned deaf ears to complaints. We reject this absurdity. We expect the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, headed by Sam Amadi, to show concern about the plight of Nigerians who are being fleeced by electricity providers. Other relevant government bodies saddled with electricity regulation should stand up for the already impoverished Nigerians.
There is no where in the world where consummers pay for services not rendered. In Nigeria, the case is different. Electricity consumers are forced to pay bills even when they do not enjoy electricity supply for weeks or months. Consumers are issued threats of disconnection from power grid if they stick to their right of not paying for what they did not consume. This daylight robbery has to stop. Governments at all levels must rise up and stop this fraud.