Many Electricity Consumers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Band A, have appealed to the Federal Government to review downward the high tariff amid the economic hardship.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Band A customers are those who enjoy at least 20 hours of electricity daily and are expected to pay ₦209.5/KiloWatts per hour (KWh).
The consumers who live at Lugbe, Area 10, Apo resettlement area and environs spoke with NAN in Abuja on Sunday. They said that Band A was okay because they enjoy constant power supply but added that the tariff was too high so could not cope with the present situation.
Amen Odigie, a civil servant residing in Lugbe said that she found herself paying so much to enjoy power supply which was okay. Odigie said that what she paid for electricity in the two-bedroom flat she occupied was more than ₦30,000 in a month.
“This is really telling on me as what I earn as a salary cannot go anywhere with the present economic hardship in the country.
”I want to appeal to the government to review the high electricity tariff as this Band A is taking most of my income, ” she said.
Ugochukwu Okafor also residing in Lugbe said that the electricity tariff for Band A customers was too high. Okafor, a vulcaniser said that his income in a month could not pay for the Band A tariff. According to him, he wants the Federal Government to do something about the Band A tariff as it is too high, given the present hardship in the country.
Anita Adaje, a fashion designer residing in Apo resettlement, said that she used electricity a lot to run her business and with this Band-A tariff, she was not making any profit.
"When you bill customers so high, they will refuse to pay and this is really affecting my business.
"My appeal is that government should look into this high tariff and do something about it, ” she added.
Festus Ogunbor, a printer in Area 10, said that he recharged more than ₦30,000 daily to run his printing machines. Ogunbor said that the high cost of electricity was affecting his business as he could no longer do much job.
"How much do I make that I have to be paying so much for electricity, please l want government to look into this high tariff as it is seriously affecting businesses and cost of living,” he stated.
Chidi Okeke, also a printer in Area 10, said that he had been finding it difficult to power his printing machines because of the high electricity tariff. Okeke said that the government should look for a way of reducing the high cost of electricity to boost businesses as well as encourage more Nigerians to go into business.