“Let the Poor Breath,” Stop NERC From Increasing Electricity Tariff – Senators Tell Tinubu

Nigerians Senators have demanded that President Bola Tinubu’s administration look into Nigerians’ current plight and “let the poor breathe” by refraining from worsening their suffering through increased electricity tariffs.

The federal lawmakers who made the demand during Tuesday’s plenary session of the Senate took turns to contribute to a motion titled “Need to Halt the Proposed Increase in Electricity Tariff by Eleven Successor Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos).”

The motion was jointly sponsored by Senators Akintende Yunus Abiodun, representing Oyo Central; Asuquo Ekpenyong, representing Cross River South; and Abbas Aminu Iya, representing Adamawa Central.

Senator Abiodun stated that the DisCos had applied to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to seek a “rate review” premised on “the need to incorporate changes in macro-economic parameters and other factors affecting the quality of service, operations and sustainability of the companies.”

Seconding the motion, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong echoed that the removal of fuel subsidy has adversely affected the general price of goods and services in the country “with a very high rate of pass-through inflation”.