The House of Representatives is set to pass a bill to criminalize the issuance of estimated bills to consumers by electricity Distribution Company (DisCos).
The bill, sponsored by the House of Representatives Majority Leader Femi Gbajabiamila and others has passed the second reading on the floor of the House.
The bill also proposed to criminalise non-provision of prepaid meter after application and illegal disconnection of consumer’s light among others with a fine of N500, 000, or six-month jail term.
Speaking on the reason for the bill, Gbajabiamila said: “The Electricity Regulatory body can direct that all consumers be provided with prepaid meters immediately and by the stroke of a pen, can also direct that the prepaid meter no longer be provided for one reason or another. So, if this is backed by law, such can no longer happen.”
Earlier home owners in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti state, on Wednesday, March 14, stormed the streets to protest for several hours against what they refered to as exorbitant bills from the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC).
The protesters under the aegis of Ado Ekiti Landlords and Ladies Electricity Consumers Association of Nigeria (ALLECA) claimed that the BEDC officials were allegedly demanding N40,000 before giving them prepaid meters.
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