» Provide Prepaid Meters To Nigerians Now, FG Orders Electricity Distribution Companies «

ENUGU – The Federal Government has given marching
orders to Electricity Distribution Companies, DISCOs, in the
country to supply pre- paid meters to electric consumers
without further delay.
The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde
Fashola, SAN, made this known at the end of his third
monthly meeting with operators in the power sector at the
Ugwuaji Transmission Station, Enugu, Monday.
Fashola said that the meeting discussed the issue of
availability of gas, volatility of the foreign exchange market,
financial capability of discos as well as difficulties in of
pricing gas in dollars instead of the local currency among
others, adding that discos must meet their responsibilities
of meeting the demands of their customers to supply them
with pre-paid meters to avoid estimated billings.
Earlier before the meeting, the Minister had asked the
DISCOs to always engage their customers by informing
them promptly about any power outage and reasons for
such problems.
According to Fashola, it was not the business of the
government to explain to Nigerians why certain discos
were not meeting up with their responsibilities, having sold
the various companies to them.
Fashola said like government was playing the same role
which the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC,
was playing as regulator for the telecommunications
companies adding that each of them must step out to play
their roles effectively.
“If you are not getting power from the transmission
company, you must tell your customers so. The issue of
review of tariff was arrived at after consultations. You
(discos) did the consultations. Why don’t you step out and
explain the issue to your customers. All of us must explain
to our different customers where we operate…,” he said.
The communique issued after the meeting read, “The
Honourable Minister of Power, Works and Housing,
Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, chaired the third monthly
meeting of operators in the electricity industry in
furtherance of identifying, discussing and finding practical
solutions to issues facing the Nigerian electricity supply
industry.