News Investigators/ Expert on Power, Princewill Okorie has urged the Federal Government to establish an enforcement unit in the Ministry of Power to check activities of the Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos).
Mr Okorie, who is also the Executive Director, Electricity Consumers Protection Advocacy Centre, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday.
According to him, no department in the ministry that is enforcing the penalties and offences segment of the Electricity Act 2023 as amended.
He said that a unit for enforcement of penalties and offences should be set up in the ministry to prosecute DisCos that violate the law and also punish them accordingly.
”In the first place, Section 217 of the Act is on false declaration. There is no discipline in the sector, and these DisCos are not punished for false declarations.
”That is why they do what they like at will without any consequences.
”When you declare that you have served customers on Band A who are supposed to be on 20 hours, Band B 18 to 16 hours and make them pay for services not rendered.
”When you also give bill as a non-meter consumer on estimation, and you fail to use Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) capping as approved by the regulator, these are all false declaration.
”The question is, who punishes the DisCos for violating these laws? There is no punishment for them. because they are not punished , they operate at will as criminal enterprises.
”Behaving as if the laws made for the sector should not be obeyed,” he said
Mr Okorie also said that the ministry of power should also set up a unit for consumer protection.
According to him, there is a department for transmission, distribution and generation in the ministry, but none for consumer protection.
Mr Okorie said that this unit should enlighten the consumers across the country on their protection and regulation provided by the Act.
”The unit should be able to also generate feedback on violation of consumer rights, ensure they are addressed and assess consumers investments in the sector, ” he said.
Mr Okorie said that most of the transformers and meters used in communities were provided by the consumers.
He said that their money were not being refunded to them according to NERC rule which says there should be an agreement between the DisCos and consumers on investment on infrastructure.
”There has to be an enforcement of the rules and regulations in the power sector for it to work,”he said.
NAN
