FG to offset 2-month electricity bills
By Samuel Ogunsona
The Federal Government will be responsible for paying the electricity bills of all end users in Nigeria to cushion the effect of COVID-19, relevant authorities said on Thursday.
The support will however not come immediately as the DISCOs await the technical details to be worked out by the Federal Government.
Experts say the cost will be in the range of N10billion. But some critics fear the DISCOs may not provide adequate energy during the period. There are also concerns that the DISCOs might increase the electricity rate to recover possible loss occasioned by the palliative.
According to the Spokesperson for Distributors Company of Nigeria, (DISCOS), Mr Sunday Oduntan, the electricity distributors are awaiting directives of the Federal Government before the initiative would be implemented.
He said the plan will involve other stakeholders like the National Assembly
Oduntan said “DISCOS are not going to pay for the bills. It’s the Federal Government that will pick the bills,” he spoke on TVNews “Your View” this morning.
Oduntan said “For now, we are waiting for the National Assembly. It will not happen this week or next week. We are waiting for the Federal Government to perfect the deal with the issue.”
He said the palliative is about everyone in the service chain and that efforts are being to ensure every consumer is not left out of the programme.
On how the palliative will benefit pre-paid meter users, he said it would be based on the monthly consumption rate of each end user.
He said the Federal authority came up with the idea to assist many Nigerians who are destined to be affected by the economic fallout of COVID-19.
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