…. To Commence Distribution of Meters
Dayo Omoogun
The Federal Government yesterday extended the suspension of the new electricity tariffs by one week apparently to stave off any angry reactions by labour that could another strike action.
It will be recalled that the government had earlier on September 28 postponed the take-off date of the tariffs by two weeks after it held a meeting with the organised labour, which was opposed to the hikes in petroleum and electricity prices.
Yesterday’s decision was reached at a meeting between the Federal Government team led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, and the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress.
The meeting held at the Presidential Villa banquet hall, Abuja, adopted the resolutions of the ad hoc technical committee on the electricity tariffs hike reached on October 8, agreed on a work plan for the implementation as well as the distribution of one million meters to bridge the metering gap in the country in the first instance.
The distribution is expected to commence this week in furtherance of the Acceleration of National Mass Metering Programme.
The plan is to distribute a total of 6 million meters to Nigerians free of charge based on the funding by the Central Bank of Nigeria and to recover the cost from the electricity distribution companies.