Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has opposed the Federal Government’s proposed increase in electricity tariffs, insisting that Nigerians should not be made to pay more for unreliable power supply.
Speaking with journalists in Ilawe-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Falana said the government must first fulfil its promise of providing stable and uninterrupted electricity before asking consumers to bear higher costs.
He recalled that President Bola Tinubu pledged during his election campaign to improve electricity supply, stressing that Nigerians deserve better service rather than increased tariffs amid persistent power outages.
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“The government should provide uninterrupted electricity. That was a promise made by President Bola Tinubu when he was a candidate,” Falana said.
The senior lawyer criticised the Federal Government’s approach to the electricity sector since the privatisation of power distribution companies, arguing that the transfer of distribution assets to private operators does not absolve the government of its responsibility to protect consumers.
According to him, the government cannot ignore the challenges confronting electricity users simply because the distribution companies are privately owned.
Falana further alleged that many owners of the electricity distribution companies have close ties with government officials, warning that such relationships should not prevent authorities from holding the firms accountable for poor service delivery.
He urged the government to compel the distribution companies to improve their performance or consider taking back control of the sector if the current privatisation arrangement continues to fail Nigerians.
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Falana maintained that the priority should be improving electricity generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure rather than placing additional financial burdens on consumers through higher tariffs.
He said any increase in electricity charges without a corresponding improvement in service would be unfair to millions of Nigerians already grappling with economic hardship.
