The house of representatives has asked the electricity distribution companies (DisCos) to stop charging public tertiary institutions Band A tariff.
During a plenary session on Thursday, the lawmakers passed
the resolution following the adoption of a motion sponsored by Abubakar Fulata
from Jigawa state.
In April, the National Electricity Regulatory Commission
(NERC) approved an increase in the electricity tariff for customers in the Band
A classification — from N66 to N209 per kwh.
The tariff hike has been trailed by public outcry and calls for its reversal.
Customers under the Band A category are expected to have a
minimum of 20 hours of electricity in a day, Band B category is 16 hours, Band
C is 12 hours, Band D is 8 hours, and Band E is 4 hours.
Moving the motion, Fulata said public institutions offer
education at “minimal charges” and most students have resisted attempts to hike
fees.
He said the hike in electricity tariff and consequent power
cut in institutions unable to pay the bill has “thrown them into total
darkness, putting important equipment at risk and security of students and
staff in jeopardy”.
The legislator said the “attendant riots” by students due to
the inability to use important learning equipment has resulted in the closure
of the affected institutions.
Fulata said grounding academic activities could lead to
increased frustration among students and potentially have severe socio-economic
consequences.
“If immediate measures are not taken to restore power supply
and make electricity affordable in public institutions, the institutions will
be forced to increase fees to meet up with current electricity costs and other
bills, which would likely stir up violent resistance that may spell grave
danger to the country,” Fulata said.
The motion was adopted when it was put to voice by Benjamin
Kalu, the deputy speaker.
‘STOP USING CURRENT BAND A TARIFF TO BILL
PUBLIC TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS’
Subsequently, the house asked the ministry of power, the NERC, relevant government agencies, and DisCos to “immediately stop further billing or disconnection of electricity supply to public tertiary institutions in Nigeria using the current tariff”.
The house also asked relevant agencies to “immediately”
reverse the tariff of public tertiary institutions to either Band C or Band D.
Committees on university education, polytechnics and
technical colleges and federal colleges of education, power, and legislative
compliance were mandated by the green chamber to “come up with a workable,
affordable and sustainable electricity tariff regime” for public tertiary
institutions and report back within weeks for further legislative action.
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