NATIONAL ASSEMBLY PRESCRIBES FINE FOR UTILITY DEFAULTERS

The National Assembly has prescribed a
N500,000 fine on any providers of water,
electricity and other utility providers who
increases tariff without recourse to the
Utilities Charges Commission.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the
fine represents a 4900 per cent increment
from the original fine of N10,000 prescribed in
the Utilities Charges Commission Act 2004.
With the amendment, any utility service
provider must first confer with and get
approval from the commission before
increasing tariffs and bringing hardship on
Nigerians.
The Senate gave its concurrence to the Bill
amending the Act which had already been
passed by the House of Representatives and
sent to the Senate for concurrence.
Therefore electricity distribution companies
will henceforth not unilaterally increase its
tariff without first consulting the commission.
In his lead debate at Thursday plenary, Senate
Leader Ali Ndume explained that the
amendment was in line with current realities.
There have been protests across the country
against the increase in electricity tariff which
prompted citizens to march to the National
Assembly.
Recall that the Nigerian Senate however
directed the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory
Commission, the ministry of power and
electricity distribution companies to
immediately suspend the increase.
The reduction kicked off on Monday, February
1. In a motion, Suleiman Nafiz, a senator who
represents Bauchi north senatorial district,
urged the Senate to probe how funds given to
electricity companies had been spent.

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Sourced and edited by DANIEL IKECHUKWU EKWUNIFE