Saturday, 7 November 2015

Lawyer warns against electricity tariff increase

Activist-Lawyer Toluwani Adebiyi has warned Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) Dr Sam Amadi against increasing power tariff this month.
He said the injunction granted by Justice Ibrahim Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos against any increment was subsisting.
Adebiyi, who filed the suit, said any attempt to increase tariff when the suit had not been determined would land Amadi in jail for contempt of court.
Besides, he said there was no justification for increasing electricity tariff now when power supply is not stable and worse in some places.
“Nigerians are still protesting NERC’s unfair trade practices, which include the crude, fraudulent and unjustifiable fixed charge. Both the Upper and Lower Chamber of the National Assembly have consistently warned NERC not to increase tariff. “President Muhammadu Buhari had declared that there won’t be increment until electricity is stable. Above all, is the subsisting court order that there must be no increment until the matter in court is decided.

“Even if the President should say NERC should increase tariff, that cannot be done until the matter in court is decided. So, where the NERC Chairman has gotten the boldness to confront and intend to disregard such a subsisting court order, I can’t explain and whosoever is encouraging him to do this will only get into trouble.
“He had once committed contempt of court for accusing the judges of frustrating power sector reform, which has been under him for about 10 years, with huge investment, yet without any significant improvement but he was forgiven.
“This time around there will be no mercy for him. If Amadi dares the subsisting court order, then he is on his way to prison.”

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