*Adebayo Adelabu, Minister for Power, apologises to Nigerian electricity consumers, clarifying that his earlier comment ‘was an innocent advice with regard to energy consumption management, which we believe will go a long way in reducing people鈥檚 energy bills’

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

Amid the perennial power supply crisis and attendant disruptions to daily life of millions of Nigerians, Mr. Adebay峄� Adelabu, Honourable Minister for Power, has apologised to consumers for saying that they keep freezers on for days due to relatively “low electricity tariff” in the the country.

The Minister, who tendered his apology while featuring on a Channels TV programme aired Thursday, April 11, 2024, said: “Anything we have said that are considered offensive, we are sorry about that.”

It is recalled Adelabu recently told news reporters, in Abuja, FCT, that Nigerians lack the culture of ‘electricity consumption management’ because of 鈥渃heap鈥� power supply to homes, businesses and organisations.

The Minister had made the statement shortly after the Federal Government, through the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) had announced tariff hike for Band A consumers from initial N66 to N225 KWh.

Subsequently, several Nigerian electricity consumers, particularly on the social media platforms, had lambasted the Minister for Power for his carefree comment, generally considered offensive to their sensibilities.

Adelabu’s comment generated outrage with some persons, including certain top political actors, calling for his removal from office.

The Minister, nonetheless, expressed regret over his earlier comment, as he clarified that the statement 鈥渨as never intended to insult the sensibilities of Nigerians in anyway.”

Adelabu also stated: “It was an innocent advice with regard to energy consumption management, which we believe will go a long way in reducing people鈥檚 energy bills.

“And that advice was directed at those that we believe that because of the recent increase in tariff will start enjoying 20 hours of power per day.”

He as well explained at a later Ministerial Press Briefing series, in Abuja, FCT, along side the Vice Chairman of NERC, that the new electricity tariff hike would only affect only about 1.5 million of the about 12 million “metered” consumers in the sector.

绿帽献妻 had reported the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission April 3 raised electricity tariff for Band A customers in the power ecosystem in Nigeria.

The power sector regulatory Commission announced that “customers in this category are said to be under the Band A classification.”

Band A electricity consumers are those who enjoy electricity supply for 20 hours per day.

According to NERC, increase will see the customers paying N225 kilowatt per hour from the current N66, a development that has been heavily criticised by many Nigerians, considering the immediacy of the tariff hike and the current hardship in the land.

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