NERC to justify tariff hike decision

Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Prof. James Momoh on Thursday said the Commission was ready to present the market fundamentals that resulted in the tariff hike to its opposers.

Momoh, who spoke to reporters in Abuja said: “If any customer or NLC (Nigeria Labour Congress) comes, we will show them how we did it. And I am sure they (NLC) will show the customers how we did it to understand us.”

The NLC President Comrade Ayuba Wabba had on July 16, warned the commission against any tariff hike.

The labour leader insisted that the hardship in the country was already unbearable that the congress was not ready to tolerate an increase in any cost in the country.

He said: “On our part, anything that will add cost to the consumers at this point in time, certainly, as a consumer and somebody that represents a large constituency, we will not be able to bear the cost.”

He said the electricity distribution companies (DisCos) were defrauding consumers with fraudulent and unsubstantiated estimated bills.

But asked what would the NERC do to manage the concerns of the NLC and other consumers that are opposed to the hike, Momoh promised to make a presentation of the parameters to them.