Alarm Raised over Poor Treatment of Electricity Consumers

• Concerns over the poor treatment of electricity consumers

• APPA Chairman raised the alarm yesterday
• Consumers in rural areas worst hit

The Association of Public Policy Analysis (APPA) has raised alarm over the poor treatment of electricity consumers in the country especially, those in the rural areas. The Chairman of the association, Princewill Okorie, made this known in Abuja.

He alleged that electricity consumers have been treated without regards for their rights and those in the rural areas have been worse hit by the unfair treatment. he further alleged that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has compounded the issue through the arbitrary billing and failure to educate the consumers of their rights.

He disclosed that the Forum Offices set up by the Commission has become a means to frustrate consumers. “Our effort in analysing bills given to communities and identifying discrepancies and unlawful fraudulent billing methods, and demanding that NERC Forum Office Owerri address them is provoking members of the NERC Forum Owerri, who are bent on covering up the wrongs of the DisCos”, Mr Okorie said of the Forum’s Owerri office.

Okorie has said, the staff at the Eastern region lack the knowledge of the provisions of the Consumer Protection and Licensee Performance Standards of Electric Power Sector Reform Act 2005.