BARELY 24 hours after reports that electricity subscribers in Nigeria would get a two-month free power usage, as part of the COVID-19 palliative, the Federal Government on Friday dismissed the reports, thus deflating hopes of many Nigerians.
The Federal Ministry of Power disclosed this via its Twitter account that no such decision has been concluded, and once such resolution is made, it would officially be announced by the authority.
“Please Note: No decision has been taken by the federal government to provide Nigerians with free electricity for two months,” it tweeted.
“If and when that becomes a reality, it shall be announced officially. Be rest assured that FG is exploring ways to ameliorate any hardship on Nigerians.”
Meanwhile, the news had excited many Nigerians, who applauded the decision.
On social media, most people described the move as a good development that would encourage people to stay indoor.
It could be recalled that Distribution Companies (DisCos) in the country through the Association of Nigeria Electricity Distribution Companies (ANEED), reportedly aligned their position with recommendations by Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives when the lawmaker met with selected officials of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in Abuja.
The association further promised to make public the details of how it intends to implement the new decision.
“In fulfilment our commitments to the nation, we hereby align ourselves with the efforts of the National Assembly and the Federal Executive to mitigate the hardships that are currently being borne by our customers and other citizens all over the country,” Sunday Oduntan, ANEED’s Executive Director (Research & Advocacy), who also double as the association’s spokesperson disclosed in a press statement.
However, while the Nigerian government is being indifferent to satisfying the electricity needs, the Ghanaian government has gone ahead to take responsibility for the power bill of its poor citizens for the next three months.
As for other average customers, it promised to offset 50 per cent of their electricity bill, in addition to other palliatives announced by the government.
“We have decided that for the next three months, government will fully absorb electricity bills for the poorest of the poor, i.e. for all lifeline consumers, who consume 0 to 50 kilowatt-hours a month for this period,” Akufo-Addo, the Ghanaian President disclosed on Thursday.
“For all other consumers, residential and commercial, Government will absorb, again, 50% of your electricity bill for the next three months. I urge all Ghanaians to exercise discipline in their use of water and electricity.”
Olugbenga heads the Investigations Desk at The ICIR. Do you have a scoop? Shoot him an email at [email protected]. Twitter Handle: @OluAdanikin