Residents of Akinola-Aboru communities in Lagos on Band A have lamented the financial strain levied on them to get constant power supply, describing the electricity tariff as outrageous.
City & Crime reports that the sharp increase in electricity tariff by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) of over 100 per cent has increased the expenditure of firms to get power supply.
Expressing their plights, the residents embarked on the streets displaying placards, in protest against the financial burden stemming from the hike in the cost of Band A and calling for a reversal to their previous Band B.
The former Chairman of Peace Estate in Aboru, Olawale Famutimi, expressed their grievances, saying that the hike in the cost of a unit at N206 per kilowatt on Band A has become a burden on the residents.
“Last year, September, we were on band C and there was no complaint until November when, without our knowledge, we were migrated to band B but we didn’t complain because the difference between band and C is not much.
“If we recharge N1000 on band C, we will get 20 units but on band B, for the same N1000, we get 14 units.
“This estate, we don’t have anything to show from this power distribution company even when it was NEPA. We bought all the cables, poles and transformers. When we bought the transformer, they even charged us for installation,” he recalled.
He added that many of the houses have remained unmetered despite their several requests, saying that the uneven distribution of prepaid meters has sparked squabbles among occupants.
“Since 2021, I have applied for three prepaid meters, up till now, I have all the forms, but there has not been a response.
“Band A has caused problems in so many houses because three to four people are using one prepaid meter because now the cost is high, so they share it. Some houses are even using light because it is too expensive.
“Let them reverse us back to Band B and meter everybody, then we can sit down and consider moving to Band A,” he said.
Another resident, Adurota Ola, stressed that migration of Peace Estate to Band A had reduced the hours of power supply to neighbouring communities.
“We discovered that Ikeja Electric doesn’t have much power to distribute to other communities because since they put us in Band A, there are some areas that now get light for less than five hours per day.
“Let them balance it and not put unnecessary burden on this estate because we have quite a number of retirees, and those who are working, have other things to attend to and not use more than 80 per cent of their income to service electricity bills,” he added.
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