Electricity tariff hike: NERC yet to give us directive – IBEDC

Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) has said that Nigerian Electricity Regulation Commission (NERC) has yet to give a directive on the new electricity tariff earlier scheduled to commence on July 1.

The Public Relations Officer of IBEDC, Ms Busolami Tunwase, stated this in an interview with our correspondent in Ibadan on Saturday.

She said: “I am not aware that NERC has given us any such directive. It is the commission that does the whole thing and I am not sure it has given such a directive.

“But, any moment we get the directive to that effect, we will announce it and it will commence based on instructions from NERC,” Tunwase said.

Our correspondent recalls that condemnation had greeted the proposed new tariff since the news hit the airwave, with stakeholders arguing that the timing of the increment was wrong, given the poor service delivery of most of the electricity distribution companies.

It was also observed that IBEDC offices were besieged by lots of customers seeking to buy energy ahead of the commencement of the new tariff.

The customers were, however, disappointed, as they could not purchase the energy due to complaints of congestion and network hitches by the company.