Senate urges FG to subsidise electricity for Nigerians

The Senate on Tuesday asked the Federal Government to subsidise electricity for Nigerians in a bid to alleviate the proposed hike in electricity tariff which had been deferred to next year.

Chairman Senate Committee on Power, Sen. Gabriel Suswam made the call while briefing newsmen in Abuja.

NAN reports that the leadership of the National Assembly on Monday waded into the controversy on the planned hike in electricity tariff from July 1.

The representatives of the Distribution Companies (DISCOs) had maintained the same ground that they would support the suspension of the planned hike only if government would bear the differences in the present tariff and what was considered as the appropriate tariff.

Addressing newsmen, Suswam said “No where in the world that power is not subsidised especially in developing economies because there are genuine people, who, because of their income, are unable to pay what is called cost-reflective tariff.

“Nigerians are heavily burdened because of COVID-19. The economy has contracted by 3.2 per cent; that’s a lot.

“So it makes it difficult for you and me to attend to some of our social problems, would the government prefer to add burden or lessen it?

READ ALSO: N’Assembly leadership halts planned hike in electricity tariffs

“The President has been doing well; he has spent so much money, and what we expect is that the spending will gradually reduce or diminish as the power sector becomes more efficient,” he said.

On the way forward, the chairman said that it was to make the power sector more efficient and for government to back out just like they had done in the oil sector where subsidy had been completely removed.

“Even at that, the government is reducing the pump price. So, should they, in the same vein, increase tariff? It doesn’t make sense,” Suswam said.

He expressed the hope that the executive would agree to subsidise electricity even though it was going to come at a cost.

Vanguard Nigeria News

The post Senate urges FG to subsidise electricity for Nigerians appeared first on Vanguard News.

by David O Royal via Vanguard News https://ift.tt/3gcB1VK Best Known Member of the Cabinet Wikipedia

Comments

UPDATED: Nigeria’s coronavirus cases reach 1,728, fatalities 51

By David Royal The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says 196 new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) have been reported in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 1,728. NCDC also announced that seven more fatalities were recorded, bringing the total number of deaths to 51. The NCDC, in a tweet at about 11:55 p.m. on Wednesday, said the 196 new cases reported were; 87-Lagos, 24-Kano, 18-Gombe, 17-Kaduna, 16-FCT, 10-Katsina, 8-Sokoto, 7-Edo, 6-Borno, 1-Yobe, 1-Ebonyi, 1-Adamawa. The virus has spread to 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Yobe, according to NCDC report, is the most recent state to record COVID-19 case in the country. According to the agency, Nigeria now has 1,370 active cases recorded as of 11:55 p.m. on April 29, while 307 infected persons have been treated and discharged, with 51 deaths recorded. READ ALSO: US says remdesivir shows ‘clear-cut’ effect in treating coronavirus “On the 29th of April 2020, 196 ...

Mayhem: How we secured Surulere from hoodlums — Lagos youth leader

#EndSARS protesters A youth leader in Surulere, Lagos, Mr Adedeji Adeoti, has narrated how young people in the area secured the community from attack by hoodlums during the recent EndSARS protest. Adeoti told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Friday that the concerned youths had to safeguard the community because “it’s our heritage. “During the crises, we had to mobilise the youths to come out to protect the streets and its environs from the hoodlums, “We had to come out to safeguard our neighborhood from miscreants because our aged parents and loved ones are all at home and needed protection. “We had to mobilise youths in the neighborhood to chase away the hoodlums and miscreants who hijacked the peaceful protest,” said Adeoti, who’s President, Adelabu Youths Vanguard. READ ALSO: ENDSARS: Ogun Judicial Panel of Investigation receives 20 petitions in 2 weeks He urged the government to give the youth the chance to speak up and make demands for a better life and secu...

COVID-19: Kano overtakes FCT with total confirmed cases, records 80 in 24 hours

By David Royal Kano state on Thursday overtook the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, with total confirmed cases of COVID-19 after recording 80 cases in 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the state to 219, while Abuja has a total of 178. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Thursday, announced that 204 new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) have been reported in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 1932. NCDC also announced that seven more fatalities were recorded, bringing the total number of deaths to 58. The NCDC, in a tweet at about 11:50 p.m. on Thursday, said of the 204 new cases, 80 were recorded in Kano state, 45-Lagos, 12-Gombe, 9-Bauchi, 9-Sokoto, 7-Borno, 7-Edo, 6-Rivers, 6-Ogun, 4-FCT, 4-Akwa Ibom, 4-Bayelsa, 3-Kaduna, 2-Oyo, 2-Delta, 2-Nasarawa, 1-Ondo, 1-Kebbi. Thursday’s 204 new cases are the highest reported in a day since the outbreak of the pandemic in February. READ ALSO: COVID-19:...

Thorian

Search This Blog