By Calista Oyeoba / Posted December 17, 2024
The National Assembly of Nigeria (NASS) has been urged to intervene and protect citizens from arbitrary bordering on alleged extortion by Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos). The Africa Anti-Slavery Coalition (AASLAC) raised concerns about the unfair practices of DisCos, citing instances of fraudulent billing and mismanagement of the prepaid metering system.
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According to AASLAC, DisCos have been hoodwinking citizens into applying for prepaid meters, only to cook up bills regardless of whether the meters are installed or not. This has led to consumers incurring humongous debts, with some cases involving amounts running into hundreds of thousands of Naira.
AASLAC highlighted an instance of abuse and outright deceit in a case where a prepaid meter was removed without notice and the occupant of the house was later asked to pay over N367,000 for a meter applied for in past two years. The group said the case and many others are evidence of the outrageous practices going on among DisCos.
The group especially called out Eko Electric for failing to supply prepaid meters to consumers who had paid for them and choosing to operate on estimated billing every monthly and then, ask the customers to pay additional fees.
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AASLAC said it’s “demanding that the National Assembly to takes immediate action in order to address the issue”
The group is calling for a public hearing to be held in Lagos, where several consumers can share their unpleasant experiences and challenge the unjust practices of DisCos.
Furthermore, AASLAC is urging the National Assembly to visit DisCos’ offices undercover to get a first-hand experience of what the average citizens are going through in the hands of the unscrupulous officers running them. The suffering and humiliation Nigerians are facing in the hands of electricity company officials is unconscionable.
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Overall, AASLAC is seeking a review of the relevant Act and operational guidelines for power sector. The group believes that this review should involve a thorough examination of the practices of DisCos, develop and deploy measures to hold them accountable for their actions.
NOTE: Calista is on Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) at DDNEWSONLINE.COM from the Department of Mass Communication, Ekocity Polytechnic, Lagos