• Home
  • Anti-Corruption
  • Fact-Check
  • Economy
  • National
    • Government
  • Security
  • Features
  • State
  • Event
    • PR Nigeria Award
  • E-Paper
Search
  • Home
  • About
  • Adverts
  • Contact
Sign in
Welcome! Log into your account
Forgot your password? Get help
Password recovery
Recover your password
A password will be e-mailed to you.
PRNIGERIA PRNigeria News
PRNIGERIA PRNIGERIA
  • Home
  • Anti-Corruption
    • ICPC Secures Conviction of Rector for Running Unaccredited Degree Programmes

      Engr Abba Babagana Dalori

      Engr Dalori Forfeits Galaxy Hospital, Petrol Station, Properties & Cash

      Chinese nationals jailed in Lagos

      Court Jails Nine Chinese Nationals for Cybercrime in Lagos

      ASUU

      Tackle Corruption, Institutional Decay – ASUU Charges FG

      EFCC Arraigns Bauchi Accountant General Over N8bn Fraud as Court Sentences…

  • Fact-Check
  • Economy
    • Tinubu Jets to Brazil After Japan Summit, Eyes Trade, Security Deals

      Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi (MFR), hosted the Executive Chairman of FIRS, Dr. Zacch Adedeji,

      Customs and the “National Single Window” Project

      FG Earmarks N13bn to Boost Power Infrastructure in Lagos, Ogun

      Centre for Crisis Communication, CCC,

      CCC Reviews Keyamo’s Crisis Management in Aviation Disputes

      NITDA Applauds Tech Giants for Advancing Online Safety in Nigeria

  • National
    • Officers of NCS as it rounds off its Strategic Reputation Management Campaign in Zone 'D', Bauchi

      Customs Consolidates Reforms as Reputation Campaign Wraps Up in Zone ‘D’

      CG Custom Bashir Adewale Adeniyi and Zacch Adedeji

      Is Zacch Adedeji Building Bridges for Nigeria’s Revenue Future? By Yushau…

      Army soldiers security

      Mattress of Terror: Can Nigeria Ever Be Truly Secure? By Haroon…

      ACF

      Arewa Consultative Forum Engages Influencers to Amplify Northern Identity

      Delegations Arrive Abuja for Inaugural African Defence Chiefs Summit

    • Government
      • CG Custom Bashir Adewale Adeniyi and Zacch Adedeji

        Is Zacch Adedeji Building Bridges for Nigeria’s Revenue Future? By Yushau…

        ACF

        Arewa Consultative Forum Engages Influencers to Amplify Northern Identity

        FG, States, LGs Share N2.001trn for July, Says FAAC

        FG Unveils Personal Income Tax Calculator Under New Reform Laws

        Saudi Arabia Conducts Life-Saving Cardiac surgeries in Kano

        Saudi Arabia Conducts Life-Saving Cardiac Surgeries in Kano

  • Security
    • NAF Eliminates Over 35 Terrorists at Assembly Point Near Cameroon Border

      Police Arrest 65-Year-Old Arms Trader, Suspected Chinese Illegal Miner in Anambra

      Officers of NCS as it rounds off its Strategic Reputation Management Campaign in Zone 'D', Bauchi

      Customs Consolidates Reforms as Reputation Campaign Wraps Up in Zone ‘D’

      Nigerian Navy Personnel

      Navy Dismantles Illegal Refining Site in Bayelsa

      Army soldiers security

      Mattress of Terror: Can Nigeria Ever Be Truly Secure? By Haroon…

  • Features
    • CG Custom Bashir Adewale Adeniyi and Zacch Adedeji

      Is Zacch Adedeji Building Bridges for Nigeria’s Revenue Future? By Yushau…

      Army soldiers security

      Mattress of Terror: Can Nigeria Ever Be Truly Secure? By Haroon…

      The Arrest of Ansaru Kingpins Mahmud Muhammad Usman aka Abu Bara’a, and Mahmud al-Nigeri aka Mallam Mamuda

      Ribadu and the fall of Ansaru By Senator Iroegbu

      Fixing the Fault Lines in Nigeria’s Culture of Recognition, By Mukhtar…

      How Desperation Turns Nigerian Job Seekers Into Scam Targets By Tahir…

  • State
    • Nigerian Navy Personnel

      Navy Dismantles Illegal Refining Site in Bayelsa

      ACF

      Arewa Consultative Forum Engages Influencers to Amplify Northern Identity

      CRUSHING BLOW: other Top Boko Haram commanders neutralized in Bita, Wigo

      CP Jimoh Moshood

      Lagos Police Intercept Vehicle Loaded with Cannabis

      ACF

      ACF Decries Worsening Insecurity in the North

  • Event
    • President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

      His Death is a National Loss, Tinubu Mourns Emir of Zuru

      Umar Lauya

      Umar Lauya Declares Candidacy for NYCN Presidency, Vows to Unite and…

      The Executive Secretary/CEO of the National Sugar Department Council (NSDC), Mr. Kamar Bakrin (L), with the CEO of Legacy Sugar Company, Alh. Abubakar Isa Musa (R), during the signing ceremony.

      NSDC, New Operators Seal Landmark Development Agreements, to Produce 400,000MT of…

      Regional Vice President Western and Central Africa at the World Bank, Mr Ousmane Diagana pays a courtesy visit to Baze University

      World Bank Vice President visits Baze University, Commends Educational Standards, Assures…

      NIPR President Ike Neliaku and a recently inducted PR professional from Kano

      PHOTOS: NIPR Inducts 80 New PR Professionals in Kano to its…

    • PR Nigeria Award
  • E-Paper
Home National Reverse unlawful electricity tariff hike, SERAP tells Buhari
  • National

Reverse unlawful electricity tariff hike, SERAP tells Buhari

By
Kolawole Oluwadare
-
January 8, 2023

Reverse unlawful electricity tariff hike, SERAP tells Buhari

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to “direct the Minister of Power, Goddy Jedy-Agba and the Chairman/CEO, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Professor James Momoh to immediately reverse the unlawful, unjust and unreasonable increase in electricity tariff, which reportedly occurred in December 2022.”

SERAP also urged him to “ensure the investigation of the spending of public funds as ‘investments and bailouts’ by successive governments to electricity distribution companies (DisCos) and generating companies (GenCos) since 2005, and prosecution of cases of corruption and mismanagement.”

Following reported approval by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), electricity tariffs were increased across DisCos in the country in December 2022. Several prepaid customers have reportedly confirmed the increase. Both the Minister of Power and NERC have refused to confirm or deny the increase.

 

In the letter dated 7 January, 2023 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “The increase in electricity tariff would exacerbate the extreme poverty across the country, and undermine the ability of millions of Nigerians to satisfy basic human needs.”

 

SERAP said, “the increase in electricity tariff failed to follow due process. It is entirely inconsistent and incompatible with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 [as amended], the Electric Power Sector Reform Act and the country’s international human rights obligations.”
According to SERAP, “millions of Nigerians continue to live in darkness despite the spending by successive governments of trillions of naira as investments and bailouts to electricity companies.”

 

The letter, read in part: “the increase is unjustified, especially given the unreliable, inefficient and poor quality of electricity in the country. Rather than providing electricity discounts to poor Nigerians, successive governments continue to give bailouts to electricity companies.”

“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel your government to comply with our request in the public interest.”

“Your government should have used the report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which shows damning revelations that some 133 million Nigerians are poor as a basis to improve access to regular electricity supply, and extend electricity to remote rural households.”

“The latest increase in electricity tariff is coming on the heels of the NBC report which shows that over half of the population of Nigeria are multidimensionally poor and cook with dung, wood or charcoal, rather than cleaner energy. High deprivations are also apparent nationally in sanitation, time to healthcare, food insecurity, and housing.”

“Access to regular electricity supply would improve the quality of life of the population.”

“Electricity is an essential public service but millions of Nigerians continue to pay the price for corruption in the electricity sector–staying in darkness, but still made to pay crazy electricity bills. Electricity supply remains inadequate and irregular.”

 

Read Also:

  • NAF Eliminates Over 35 Terrorists at Assembly Point Near Cameroon Border
  • Police Arrest 65-Year-Old Arms Trader, Suspected Chinese Illegal Miner in Anambra
  • Customs Consolidates Reforms as Reputation Campaign Wraps Up in Zone ‘D’

“Regular and uninterrupted access to electricity is a fundamental human right. Your government has legal obligations to ensure that the operations of NERC and electricity companies do not impair the effective enjoyment of the right.”

“Access to affordable electricity services is a prerequisite for improving the condition of people living in poverty. It is a means to generate other important services that mitigate poverty, bearing in mind that access to electricity facilitates the eradication of poverty.”

“The hike in tariff would increase financial burdens for socially and economically vulnerable Nigerians and further marginalize and disproportionately affect them, and exacerbate their vulnerability to discrimination.”

“The failure of successive governments and high-ranking government officials to prevent widespread and systematic corruption in the electricity sector and to bring suspected perpetrators to justice is the primary cause of the exploitation of electricity consumers.”

“Investigating the spending of investments and bailouts by successive governments in DISCOS and prosecuting anyone suspected of corruption and mismanagement of public funds, and recovering any proceeds of crime would end a culture of impunity in the power sector, and improve access to and affordability of electricity in Nigeria.”

“Successive governments have failed to increase power generation and provide Nigerians with regular and uninterrupted electricity supply, with many electricity contracts shrouded in secrecy, and trillions of Naira going down the drain.

“Section 14(2)(b) of the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 [as amended] provides that, ‘the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.’”

“Under Section 16(1)(a)(b), your government has the obligations to ‘harness the resources of the nation and promote national prosperity and an efficient, a dynamic and self-reliant economy’, and to ‘secure the maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every citizen.’”

“Nigeria has also ratified the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which recognize legally enforceable economic and social rights, such as the rights to education, health, safe food and clean water, security, and shelter.”

“Your government also has legal obligations to ensure that socially and economically vulnerable Nigerians including the 133 million the NBC documents as poor enjoy non-discriminatory access to basic household services including electricity.”

“Under Chapter 2 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria dealing with Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, high-level public officials have a clear obligation to ‘eradicate all corrupt practices and abuse of power. Furthermore, the constitution prohibits the exploitation of Nigeria’s human and natural resources for any reasons other than for the good of the community.”

“Articles 5 and 9 of the UN Convention against Corruption also impose legal obligations on your government to ensure proper management of public affairs and public funds, and to promote sound and transparent administration of public affairs.”

“The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights has adjudged the failure of the States to provide basic services such as electricity as violating the right to health.”

Kolawole Oluwadare
SERAP Deputy Director
8/1/2023
Lagos, Nigeria

VISIT OUR OTHER WEBSITES
PRNigeria.com EconomicConfidential.com PRNigeria.com/Hausa/
EmergencyDigest.com PoliticsDigest.ng TechDigest.ng
HealthDigest.ng SpokesPersonsdigest.com TeensDigest.ng
ArewaAgenda.com Hausa.ArewaAgenda.com YAShuaib.com
  • TAGS
  • buhari
  • electricity tarif
  • Goddy Jedy-Agba
  • SERAP
Previous articleJUST IN: NDLEA Intercepts Drug Consignments in Wooden Statue, Imported Vehicle
Next articleYoung Scholar Releases Books on Sanitising Political Expression and Campaigns Strategies
Kolawole Oluwadare
Kolawole Oluwadare
Xing

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

Officers of NCS as it rounds off its Strategic Reputation Management Campaign in Zone 'D', Bauchi

Customs Consolidates Reforms as Reputation Campaign Wraps Up in Zone ‘D’

CG Custom Bashir Adewale Adeniyi and Zacch Adedeji

Is Zacch Adedeji Building Bridges for Nigeria’s Revenue Future? By Yushau A. Shuaib

Army soldiers security

Mattress of Terror: Can Nigeria Ever Be Truly Secure? By Haroon Aremu Abiodun

ACF

Arewa Consultative Forum Engages Influencers to Amplify Northern Identity

Police Recover arms from Boko Haram in Borno

Man, 65, arrested for illegal arms deal in Anambra – Police

Delegations Arrive Abuja for Inaugural African Defence Chiefs Summit

Troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA

Troops Neutralise 7 Bandits, Recover Motorcycles in Katsina

CRUSHING BLOW: other Top Boko Haram commanders neutralized in Bita, Wigo

Rotimi Pedro, Karimah Bello, Stella Din Jacob, Sophia Essahmed

PHOTOS: Finally, President Tinubu Confirms Pedro as NTA DG, Announces Three Female Executive Directors

Nigerian Military Refutes Misinterpretation of CDS Self-Defence Comment

FG, States, LGs Share N2.001trn for July, Says FAAC

FG Unveils Personal Income Tax Calculator Under New Reform Laws

Recent Posts

  • NAF Eliminates Over 35 Terrorists at Assembly Point Near Cameroon Border
  • Police Arrest 65-Year-Old Arms Trader, Suspected Chinese Illegal Miner in Anambra
  • Customs Consolidates Reforms as Reputation Campaign Wraps Up in Zone ‘D’
  • Navy Dismantles Illegal Refining Site in Bayelsa
  • Is Zacch Adedeji Building Bridges for Nigeria’s Revenue Future? By Yushau A. Shuaib
  • Home
  • About
  • Adverts
  • Contact
© 2020 PRNigeria. All Rights Reserved.
Latest News
NAF Eliminates Over 35 Terrorists at Assembly Point Near Cameroon BorderPolice Arrest 65-Year-Old Arms Trader, Suspected Chinese Illegal Miner in AnambraCustoms Consolidates Reforms as Reputation Campaign Wraps Up in Zone ‘D’Navy Dismantles Illegal Refining Site in BayelsaIs Zacch Adedeji Building Bridges for Nigeria’s Revenue Future? By Yushau A. ShuaibMattress of Terror: Can Nigeria Ever Be Truly Secure? By Haroon Aremu AbiodunArewa Consultative Forum Engages Influencers to Amplify Northern IdentityMan, 65, arrested for illegal arms deal in Anambra - PoliceDelegations Arrive Abuja for Inaugural African Defence Chiefs SummitTroops Neutralise 7 Bandits, Recover Motorcycles in KatsinaCRUSHING BLOW: other Top Boko Haram commanders neutralized in Bita, WigoPolice Command Moves to Address Protest Concerns in AnambraPHOTOS: Finally, President Tinubu Confirms Pedro as NTA DG, Announces Three Female Executive DirectorsNigerian Military Refutes Misinterpretation of CDS Self-Defence CommentCDS, Katsina Lawmakers Strategize to Tackle Banditry
X whatsapp