The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has warned electricity distribution companies (Discos) against giving outrageous bills to consumers.
Gbajabiamila, who gave the warning when he received the management of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) at the National Assembly yesterday, said the National Assembly would ensure that electricity consumers get value for money.
Consequently, the Speaker noted that the House would give adequate attention to the practice of estimated billing by Discos, to address the plight of Nigerians. He called for a periodic review of the performance of Discos, saying the Green Chamber would do everything within its power to ensure that TCN delivers on its mandate.
“The issue of estimated billing has been on the front burner. It has been in this House, and we will revisit it soon. We can’t allow Discos to continue to do what they have been doing over the years.
“You said Discos need to be recapitalised. I don’t know what you mean by that. These are private companies, do you mean that the government should come in? Maybe you should explain more on that,” he said, adding, “We are going to be engaging you on the correlation between electricity supply and how to improve poverty. You have done well, I must commend you so far. But what we would like to know is for you to give us a breakdown of your real challenges, your real problems.”
Managing director of the TCN, Usman Mohammed, told the Speaker that about $4.3 billion worth of investment was required for the Discos to perform optimally.
