Let’s settle out of Court” Minister of power , Adebayo adelabu begs All Electricity consumers protection Forum

The power minister in the federal Republic of Nigeria today beg the incorporated trustees of All Electricity consumers protection Forum to let settle out of Court her case against Nerc over recent increase in tariff of Band A based on ilegality inherent and failure to followed the extant laws and procedures for such increase to be valid.

The appeal from the minister was made today at the Business day conference held in Lagos at Radisson Blu Victoria island. The conference titled Powering Nigeria where the minister made submission on various issues bedeviling the sector as well as government efforts at tackling, made passes at the recent increase in tariff justifying it by saying “first thing first” the increase in tariff of Band A customers became necessary to sustain the sector form collapsed among other references over the issues affecting the sector was said by him .

The conference however has the present of the National coordinator, All Electricity consumers protection Forum Adeola Samuel ilori, who tackled the minister over his various submissions on those issues, from the metering gap figure to Discos liability at providing meter and other line materials like transformer which the sector still gives the consumers the burden to bear as against the regulatory stand and extant law provisions. The National cordinator, All Electricity consumers protection Forum said he will not dwell on the issue of tariff increase as it has become a legal tussle between his group and Nerc in which the minister remain supervisory head over in the court of law which maybe termed subjudice.

The minister, Mr. Adebayo adelabu in his response to the submission said , he is appealing to the plaintiff in the case in which the national cordinator, prresent to please let’s settle out of Court so as not to jeopardize the current move at sustaining the success made thru the introduction of the Band A increase. He asiad that going thru the process and court upturning the increase will affect the sector and may lead to collapsed of Discos as the government can no longer subsidize the tariff.

In his response,the National coordinator, Adeola Samuel ilori said the minister should let the court decide the outcome of their case as the case was not of malafide but a determination of position of law as similar one happened on 2016 but for the intervention of the group and other especially Mr Adebiyi Toluwani who instituted the case at the Federal High court, ikoyi, the Nerc would have went away with it and by now only God knows how much a kwh would be without correspondence supply due to meager generation of megawatts.

It will be recalled that after April 3rd announcement of increase in Band A tariff to 225 by Nigerian Electricity Regulatory commission, NERC the group All Electricity consumers protection Forum wrote to the body and declare her displeasure to the increase and threatened within 72 hrs of not reversed will go to court for succor.

The group made good her promise thru the incorporated trustees who sued the Nerc at federal high court, ibadan and the case first mentioned was done in May ,2024 before Justice Agomah, court 1 and was adjourned to July 1fir hearing.