The declaration of the Eleventh DisCos, in partnership with NERC to hike electricity tariff, from the unjustifiable N24kw/h to N38kw/h in April, 2020, has trigger a lot of reactions from electricity consumers. In places like Ajegunle, Alaba Oro, Ijora Badia, Olodi, Awodi-ora etc where electricity campaigns has been on for some time.
Groups, activists and socialists alike have come all out to call for total reversal of electricity tariff, end to estimated billing, installation of prepaid metre to all household and businesses, and ultimately; for the renationalization of the power sector under democratic management and control of electricity workers and the consumers.
In recent time, after the proposed plan to hike electricity tariff. Organizations like Ajeromi Ifelodun United Interest for Justice, Ajegunle People's Movement, Landlord and Tenant Associations of Nigeria and other community activists in their respective areas. These groups have a common understanding of initiating a campaign to demand for total reversal of electricity tariff.
While campaigns of No To Estimated Billing has stomp grounds in Ajegunle. Communities like Alaba-Ora and others have shown resistances over the issues of crazy bills and disconnection. Their resilience has been able to sustain the matter they both in Federal High Court, Lagos and Magistrate Court over trump up charges for resisting crazy bills and demanding for installation of prepaid metre.
Going by pressure mount on the campaign to resist disconnection and truckload of estimated billing. Eko Disco has try several times to influence the court proceedings on matters of irregularities and electricity billing, which has met an organize resistances from the masses especially the women who largely made up the Action Committees in the Alaba-Ora community.
However, other organized groups and activists has continued to show solidarity to the Alaba-Ora community especially on their court cases. Meanwhile, while the matter had been adjourned in many of the sittings. Like January 30, 2020 at Magistrate Court; Ajegunle and February 28, 2020 at Federal High Court, Igbosere. However, their resilience has continued to inspire other communities, to kick off action against Disco plan to hike tariff on April, 2020.
Although, these groups on their part, felt that privatization has completely failed. That, the plan of the DisCos, with the support of the Buhari led APC administration and NERC, to hike electricity tariff, will definitely triple the profit of DisCos and GenCos in spite of low supply of electricity. In addition, the truckload of estimated billing the Disco supply since privatization of power sector.
Despite the DisCos and GenCos irregularities and it profit driven agenda. More than 65% of DisCos customers has not been metre. Indeed, the inauguration of MAP initiated by NERC and the led Buhari administration, has not in any resolved challenges of prepaid metre. Instead, it has put more money into the pocket of the private and big marketers that are importers of prepaid metres.
PRIVATIZATION OF ELECTRICITY
November 1st, 2020 will be seven years the power sector has been privatized. However, it hasn't been able to address the over 62.2% Nigerians who don't have access to electricity. The worst of it is that, reports confirms that in Nigeria only one in five people has access to power from the electricity grid. More so, "four in five people living in urban and rural communities having to fend for themselves with makeshift and localised power solutions" (www.pwc.com>press room).
Punch also in 6/1/2020 reported "that electricity tariffs grew threefold in four years". And the "rates increased by more than 300 per cent during the period". Outside this, "between 2015 and 2019, the average electricity tariff climbed from N12kWh to about N32kWh". On top of this, the regime plan to hike electricity tariff to N38.2kw/h, which for a lot of consumers will harden to the challenge of paying for electricity they don't consume.
ORGANIZED CAMPAIGN
The suggestion of organizing campaigns to resist this plan of electricity tariff is the opined by community activists, socialists and groups, for residents to begin to get organised in their respective communities. Not only that, to boldly begin to sensitized the electricity consumers (the mass) to, in an organize manner, resist this monstrosity of the DisCos and the privatization policies of Buhari led administration.
Organizing this campaign as suggested, will help to deepen the existing ones in the community that has recorded and earn successes. It will help to press the regime to reverse plan to hike electricity tariff and also, help sustain some of the success achieve in past and propose struggles. Rallies, streets to street sensitization with materials stating the issues clearly, must be use to reach out to the mass.
In giving weight to pockets of resistances organized so far in communities. The electricity workers - NUEE - on their part as affiliates union of ULC and also NLC and TUC should declare a Day of Action for total reversal of the draconian policy increasing electricity tariff. Declaring this action is to demand for re-nationalization of power sector under democratic control and management of electricity workers and the consumers, to end profit driven agenda of DisCos.
By Davy Fidel
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