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Increase Cost Of Meters: Group Knocks FG, NERC

Published

2 years ago

November 25, 2021

Editor

A group, Coalition for Affordable and Regular Electricity (CARE), has condemned the Federal Government and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) over a planned decision to increase the prices of meters.

DAILY POST gathered that NERC has approved the increment of the unit price of the meters from N44,896.17 to N58,661.69 for single-phase meter and N82,855.19 to N109,684.36 for three-phase meter.

CARE in its reaction said that it was wrong to announce such a decision when Nigerians were still experiencing an erratic supply of electricity.

The group, in a statement made available to DAILY POST through its spokesman in Oyo State, Comrade Sunday Onakoya, described the decision as dubious.

Onakoya in the statement issued on Thursday explained that such a decision is a conspiracy between the NERC and distribution companies.

He maintained that the decision is aimed to satisfy profit interest at the expense of the poor, who are in the majority.

He further noted that such a decision will increase the economic hardship, which the majority of Nigerians are going through at this present time.

Onakoya said, “This decision is a dubious conspiracy between the NERC and DISCOs to satisfy profit interest at the expense of the Nigerian working people and the poor, and it will definitely increase the economic hardship which mass majority of Nigerians are going through at this present time.

“Given the desperate quest for profit which is the sole driven motive behind the existence of DISCOs and their activities, this new increment in the price of the meter under NMMR for instance will mean that the additional cost incurred by the DISCOs on every meter procured under this arrangement will be transferred to the consumers.

“The situation will definitely be the same if not worse under MAP where the electricity consumers will definitely spend a fortune to be able to procure meter at the newly increased price.

“It is in the light of this the CARE Oyo State rejects the NERC/FG decision to hike the price of meter with a conclusion that it’s an anti-people and unacceptable and therefore demands an immediate reversal. The argument seeking to liken meter to phone is fraudulent and unfounded. CARE rejects this as well as the related argument canvassing that the sale of meters should be liberalized.

“We reiterate our insistence that meter is the property of DISCOs and its free provision for adequate measurement of the accurate amount of energy consumed is the responsibility of DISCOs. Interestingly, this obligation of DISCO was acknowledged in the agreement it signed prior to its acquisition of PHCN in 2013.

“According to this agreement, all Nigerian Electricity consumers were promised to be freely metered by DISCOs within 18moths of the acquisition”.

Headline

Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger Finalise Regional Alliance Project

Published

3 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

Junta-run Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have finalised plans to form a confederation after turning their backs on former colonial ruler France to seek closer ties with Russia.

Their foreign ministers met Friday in Niger’s capital Niamey to agree on a text establishing the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

“The objective was to finalise the draft text relating to the institutionalisation and operationalisation of the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES)”, said Niger Foreign Minister Bakary Yaou Sangare as he read the final statement late Friday.

He said the text would be adopted by the heads of state of the three countries at a summit, without specifying the date.

“We can consider very clearly, today, that the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) has been born,” Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop said after meeting General Abdourahamane Tiani, the head of Nigerien military regime.

The third foreign minister at the meeting was Burkina Faso’s Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore.

The Sahel region has been subject to deadly jihadist violence for years, which they accused France of not being able to curb.

The three countries said late January they were quitting The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which they said was under French influence, to create their own regional grouping.

AFP

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Paul Kagame, Chimamanda Adichie, Aig-Imoukhuede, Other Africans Make Top 100 Influential Global

Published

7 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

Combo of Paul Kagame, Chimamanda Adichie, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede,Remi Dairo.

Rwanda President, Paul Kagame, Nigeria’s Chimamanda Adichie, and Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, have been listed among top 100 influential global voices 2023/24.

Others list are president, the president , Institute of Productivity and Business Innovation, Africa and the Chief Operating Officer of Productivate Plus LLC, headquartered in Houston, Texas, Mr Remi Dairo; Adebayo Ogunlesi; Jumoke Adenowo, Ibukun Awosika; Malala Yousafzai, Strive Masiyiwa, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum.

In recognition of this groundbreaking record, Dairo was honoured by the Leaders Without Borders Development Centre at the event which took place on 19th April at House of Lords, Palace of Westminster, United Kingdom in recognition of being a global voice.

Commenting, Dairo said, “I feel so excited and motivated for the journey of my efforts and contribution to productivity in the community is globally recognized. The journey started in Nigeria as the School of Productivity in 2007 and metamorphosed into the Institute of Productivity and Business Innovation (IPBiM) in 2017.”

Remi Dairo is the president of the Institute of Productivity and Business Innovation Management (IPBIM), a distinguished African institution with global outreach that globally focuses on African institutions of productivity and innovation learning. The institution is in partnership with some of the world’s best institutions around the globe.

Headline

Disregard Claim Of Me Bringing Investors To Nigeria – Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Published

18 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

The Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has denied sending a WhatsApp message claiming she’s bringing investors to Nigeria due to Tinubu’s “commendable policies”.

A message had been circulating on Whatsapp alleging that former Minister of Finance has been contacted by President, respected instutitions and investors who congratulated her because Nigeria has finally found a “focused leader.”

Anything forwarded to you purporting to be a WhatsApp message from me is fake – Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala debunks news claiming she?s bringing investors to Nigeria due to Tinubu?s ?commendable policies?

Reacting via her X handle, Okonjo-Iweala described it as fake. She wrote;

‘’It’s been brought to my attention that another FAKE message has been manufactured and is being forwarded on WhatsApp in my name. I want to make clear that this fake message is not from me. I am pleased that those who know me instantly recognized this as fake.

“Thanks to friends who brought this to my attention. Please be aware that I do not use WhatsApp broadcasts, thus anything forwarded to you purporting to be a WhatsApp message from me is FAKE.

“This is a bad example of the use of social media. I want to warn those in the business of manufacturing FAKE messages, that they will not succeed.”