Government’s inability to consistently subsidise Power supply became the reason for its subsidy removal, while inefficiency remains the fear of the largely unmetered customers, hence, the call for metering of electricity for consumers.
While Power supply is a little efficient in some areas, it is not same in other areas, hence the Government’s increase electricity tariffs for those with not less than 12 hours power supply.
Some feat may have been achieved in some areas by Nigeria Electricity Distributing company as we may need to give kudos to them for trying to justify their increament in electricity tariff, i.e writing from Lagos-Ogun border.
For about 5 months, it hasn’t been raining in Lagos and almost all the entire southwestern States, and one thing that seemed enjoyable in this Lagos-Ogun border axis is the relative power supply of at least 12 hours.
When the rain according to meteorologists bounced back September this month, few drop of rain knocked down power supply rendering the entire area in total blackouts for about 3 days as power was not available and when it appeared available, it could not last for one minute and people began to ask how this Electricity Distributing Company will be able to convince people to pay more as the rain becomes a daily affair. But the power Distribution Company threw this border community into unbelievable surprise by providing unshakable stable power supply throughout this period, as it is heavily raining till now, to the Inquisition of many.
Yes! It rained heavily for about 4 hours without a blink from the public power supply. Since then, power supply in that area has always withered heavy rainfall, except when power is deliberately seized for other reasons.
The tariff increment for those with not less than 12 hours power supply is therefore justifiable to all intents and purposes in this case, even with large unmetered customers, to be fair to the power company but not for those who are experiencing frequent unstable power supply.
Where these Power Distribution Companies for bureaucratic and other reasons are unable to meter the entire consumers for now, efficiency should be a key parameter for tariff increment. Those who don’t have up to 12 hours of power supply should gradually be considered for improvement so as to extend tariff increment to them also, to ensure more revenues are available to them as no reasonable individual will be oppose to such, although the economy is tough and bites harder, but it is left for this government to improve the purchasing powers of the citizenry and improve the entire economy.
By Lanre Shodimu
Gbos Gist Blog 