Governors of the 36 states of the federation yesterday unanimously endorsed the plan by the federal government to increase electricity tariff across the country by June this year.
This was also the decision taken at the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting held at the Presidential Villa yesterday. NEC which is chaired by Vice President Namadi Sambo, with the Central Bank governors and all the 36 states governors as members is the highest economic policy making body in the country.?
The governors said they endorsed the hike in electricity tarriff because they were convinced that Nigeria is due for it, compared to countries like Ghana and Chad.
President Goodluck Jonathan had on Monday expressed reservation for the increment, on the ground that it may lead to another nightmare for him the way he was tormented by the fuel subsidy removal crisis in January, just as he directed that the increment should be preceded with enough enlightenment of Nigerians.
Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State who disclosed this while ?briefing State House Correspondents after the NEC meeting which was presided over by Vice President Sambo noted that the take off date for the new electricity tariff remains June this year.
Told that Nigerians may be warming up to fight the increase of tariff because already, they have been paying for what they have not consumed, Governor Obi said, “All these things will end. There is going to be a decrease and increase. There will be a decrease for the low users and the poor people within the cities and the rural areas and there will be increase for the high users.?
“But in the end, nobody is going to invest like they are investing in Ghana, in Chad and everywhere unless we do something because if you are a business man and you are being asked to put money where you are going to loose money, you are not going to do it. Overall, if we get the power issue right, Nigerians will pay less than 20 per cent of what they pay today, generating their own power. And we want to ensure that like the metering he mentioned, there will now be accurate metering and no longer estimated metering.?
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