The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) yesterday took a notch higher, the enforcement of electricity consumers’ rights with the signing of
a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in Abuja.
CEO) FCCPC, Babatunde Irukera and Engineer Sanusi Garba Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). I’m
Speaking at the NERC headquaters, venue of the epoch-making event,the executive vice chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) FCCPC, Babatunde Irukera, said the latest step became necessary in order to stop unrelenting abuse of electricity consumers by the DisCOs.
Irukera said because the electricity market malfunctions usually to the advantage of producers, consumers who are usually exploited need to be protected in order to recreate a balance of power.
Babatunde Irukera
EVC, FCCPC
More worrisome he noted, is that consumers’ complaints had never been primarily about supply, but about billing for electricity not supplied.
He argued that connecting balance sheet to an arbitrary metering system is the worst form of abuse, especially for an essential public utility.
“It formalises … the expectation of how the industry is regulated from the consumer protection standpoint & certainly from the competition standpoint.”
Babatunde Irukera
EVC, FCCPC
Also emphasizing that the MoU will now consolidate the area of cooperation between the two agencies , Irukera said there should be a linear connection between a bill estimate and actual usage as the whole point is to remove the asymmetry of power and restore equal and fair bargain adding that when the market malfunctions, they hurt consumers gravely.
Going forward, Irukera said for the period over which estimated billing will subsist, there must be rational, transparent and reasonable bills.
Commenting on the complaint resolution mechanism of DisCOs , Irukera noted that regrettably, it is either lacking or unclear and there’s a clear absence of respect for consumers, who now turn to FCCPC to seek redress .
”However, that is the good side, but the bad side is that we still continue to have repeated complaints about the same issue,” he pointed out.
This, he observed is as result of poor customer relationship and bullying attitude of DisCOs.
“Those are things that are also included in the MoU; how we can collaborate to think through what materials and structural changes need to occur,” he added.
He further assured, ” I cannot gurantee that you will be satisfied when you wake up tomorrow morning, but I assure you that there is a mutual commitment on prioritisation that will move this very quickly, make things better in the many days and years to come.”