Some experts in the power sector have commended the federal government’s plans to revoke the licences of non-performing distribution companies.
Some of the experts, who spoke in separate interviews on Thursday in Lagos, also decried the companies’ arbitrary charges.
On March 6, the federal government issued an order asking the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to withdraw licenses of non-performing electricity distribution companies.
Commenting on the development, Chinedu Bosah, the national coordinator of the Coalition for Affordable and Regular Electricity (CARE), said the government’s directive was in order.
Mr Bosah said the government’s decision was a directive from the point of threat rather than from the point of ensuring efficiency.
He also alleged that some companies had shown obvious incapacity to supply electricity to Nigerians.
Mr Bosah added that many communities were in darkness due to high tariffs.
According to him, if the federal government is serious about ensuring electricity supply at affordable tariff rates, it should reverse electricity privatisation and bring the whole sector under public ownership and workers’ democratic control.
Akinrolabu Olukayode, chairman of the Customer Consultative Forum of Festac/Satellite Town, alleged that the major setback was caused by generating companies and the Transmission Company of Nigeria.
Mr Olukayode advised that the government should break the power sector’s monopoly and allow for operations’ flexibility.
He also urged the federal government to resuscitate the generating turbines rendered redundant by past administrations.
“The distribution companies have their peculiar challenges ranging from estimated billing, slow or bureaucratic approach to customers’ complaints.
“Others include overloaded transformers, energy theft, complicit staff and inaccurate consumption estimation,” he said.
Regarding epileptic power supplies, Olukayode said that states should be allowed to explore their potential and propensities to generate their energy.
“The best thing is for the electricity act passed into law to take full-fledged implementation. We should allow states to develop their generating capacity.
“The economy is dull as we are merely reduced to a consuming people without a corresponding production. The collapse of the national grid has led to low power generating capacity which engendered the poor allocation of less than 15 megawatts to my area daily.
“Both residents, small and medium scale businesses are grossly affected and also suffered set backs too,” he said.
The expert also said that companies and expatriates should be given more licences to consolidate the existing generating capacity.
According to him, since the business world is suffering the harsh consequences of hyperinflation, it is a loss to any business to run on generating sets with the high cost of petrol.
Mr Olukayode said the way forward was to get rid of all the challenges and realise the constant power supply in Nigeria.
(NAN)
