PHCN Handover: Dutse Residents Call On FG To Regulate Tariff

Residents of Dutse in Jigawa on Monday appealed to the Federal Government to strictly regulate electricity tariff under the new owners of power generation and distribution companies.
The Federal Government had on Nov. 1, 2013 handed over the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) to 18 private firms.
The move was part of the process of privatising the company and making the power sector better than before.
A cross-section of Dutse residents, who spoke with NAN, however sought for government’s protection for consumers against the likelihood of unnecessary tariff hike.
Malam Jibril Sule, a resident, said while the privatisation of the power sector was a welcome development, government should however not take its hands off completely.

“Government should regulate the high tariff that may be charged by the private companies,’’ he said.
Ahmed Nura, another resident, also expressed concern that there could be increase in the tariff by the new investors.
He said the privatisation was a right step in the right direction if the operators from the private sector would stabilise power supply.
Also speaking, another resident, Hajiya Lami Sani, advised the federal government to pay all entitlements of the PHCN workers.
“This is necessary in order to avert any hitch in the take-off of operations by the new firms,’’ she told NAN.
Sani also appealed to the new owners to improve power generation and distribution for better services. [NAN]