Some residents of Jos have decried plans by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to increase electricity tariffs.
The residents who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday said the proposed tariff increase was ill conceived and an unnecessary burden on weary electricity consumers.
They further said that if carried out, the hike would compel consumers to look for alternative sources of energy.
Mr Mike Ejiro, proprietor of a private school in Jos, said any increase in the tariffs would force him to generate his own power.
‘’It is not fair, what is the reason for the increase, presently power is not constant and we still pay but any attempt to increase the rate will further worsen the situation, ‘’ Ejiro said.
Mrs Julia Emeka, owner of a cold room in Jos, said that any increase in the tariffs would adversely affect her business.
Mr Funbi Adedeji, manager of a printing press, also said the tariffs hike would force consumers to generate their own power.
Adedeji also warned that the increase would affect many Nigerians and the economy negatively.
‘’Any hike in the tariff planned by NERC will affect the market price of goods and services and the economy generally and so, no one should entertain the idea,’’ he said .
Mrs Helen Achuwan, a public servant, said that she had been paying N6,000 monthly to painfully settle her electricity bill and, so the plan to increase the tariff would inflict more pain on her.
The residents appealed to the Federal Government to stop the planned hike to save the people from further hardships.
Earlier in the week, a group threatened to sue NERC over the increment.
It lamented that the new electricity tariff for the South East is the highest in the country despite the relative small land mass of the zone, few industries and near absence of Federal Government presence.
