THE Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has formally ordered electricity distribution companies, popularly called DISCOs to suspend for two weeks the recent increment in electricity tariff as part of agreements the federal government had reached with organised labour last Sunday, September 27, 2020 at a meeting held at the Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The order came almost three days after the agreement, as the DISCOs said they were not officially informed of the suspension of the hike in tariff as one of the pre-conditions for the suspension of the nationwide strike and protest by unions under the aegis of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC).
DISCOs commenced the implementation of the new electricity tariff on September 1, 2020,
nationwide, an increment which was over 100%.
In the directive, entitled; “NERC Order on suspension of the Multi-Year Tariff Order 2020 for the Electricity Distribution Licensees”, and jointly signed by NERC’s Chairman, Prof James Momoh, and the Commissioner, Legal, Licensing and Compliance, Dafe Akpeneye, the NERC said the “order shall take effect from 28th September 2020 and shall cease to have effect on the 11th October 2020.”
The DISCOs, numbering eleven, are expected to revert to rates applicable as at August 31, 2020, the order stated. The DISCOs include; Abuja Electricity Distribution Company Plc, Benin Electricity Distribution Company Plc, Enugu Electricity Distribution Company Plc and Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company Plc.
Others are Jos Electricity Distribution Company Plc, Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company Plc, Kano Electricity Distribution Company Plc, Eko Electricity Distribution Company Plc, Ikeja Electric Plc, Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company Plc and Yola Electricity Distribution Company Plc.
