Electricity: NERC says no new tariff review happened

Story from Abah ADAH, Abuja

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has said that the news being peddled in the media that it had approved a new electricity tariff review was grossly incorrect as the review being referred to was the last review of December, 2021.

NERC Chairman, Sanusi Garba, who made this known at a press briefing Friday in response to the media reports said to come up with such reports and call it breaking news as it were was misinforming, hence the need for the press section so as clarify things before they get out of hand.

“We were reading in the papers that NERC has approved rate increase and those of us who work in this building were shocked. Many papers picked and reported this very sensational news that NERC in spite of the situation in the power sector has approved new rate review.

“I want to, on behalf of all of us here, clearly state that as at today we have not approved any rate increase, and are there are no indications that any distribution companies (DisCos) is doing so,” he said.

“In the reports, there were references to a document we posted in December, 2021, on the review that did as part of our responsibility, and I don’t see why a newspaper can go and pick such a document of last December and still call it breaking news,” he said.

Responding, the Chairman of Power Correspondents Association of Nigerian (PCAN), Obas Esiedesa, explained that those who carried the reports could not be blamed because since the review was announced in December, NERC did not place the review document on their website till the “last” 24 hours, so the reporters picked on it when the commission decided to release it.

He urged NERC to ensure they carry the media along by giving out information as timely as possible.

The reports that the regulator had increased electricity tariff was carried by many media houses as breaking news.

According to the reports, The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has given Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC); Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC); Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDC); Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KEDC); Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC); Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) and Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) approval to increase their tariff rates, and
the new approval took effect from January1, 2022 but the new rate is from February 2022.

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