Discos to spend six months in jail over estimated billing – Lawmakers
Members of the House of Representatives have condemned estimated billings by Discos across the country.
The lawmakers said during a public hearing on Wednesday that a bill will soon be passed to criminalise such acts by Discos.
They also accused the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, the regulator of the power sector, of colluding with the Discos or being helpless while Nigerians were being ripped off.
Many Nigerian homes are still without prepaid meters, leading to crazy bills being delivered to homes.
According to the lawmakers, once the bill is passed, officials of the power firms risk a jail term of six months for failing to provide prepaid meters to their customers.
One of the lawmakers, Muazu Lawal, from Zamfara State, said, “It appears that the Discos and other stakeholders are not ready for the job before them. You just go about billing people the way you like without considering the actual power they consume. This happens everywhere in the country and even here in Abuja.
“From what is happening, I think the Discos are either operated by fraudsters or they are just extorting money from Nigerians. If you are not ready for the job, tell us you are not ready. Go to the government and say you are not ready.”
