Following complaints received from consumers over their difficulties in purchasing or vending electricity tokens or units for their prepaid meters, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) said it has waded into the issue.
The Commission said on Friday in Abuja that it received several complaints from electricity consumers in the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) franchise area over their inability to purchase electricity tokens or units for their prepaid meters over a recent extended period.
The Executive Vice-Chairman of the Commission, Babatunde Irukera, said it was engaging with the electricity sector regulatory authority, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), and IKEDC to resolve the complaints and any associated difficulties with vending or purchasing tokens.
Irukera said findings by the Commission showed that the difficulties arose in part as a result of the public holidays, with vending agents inundated with significant purchases in excess of usual vending and purchase volumes.
The increase in the volume of purchases was attributed to the decision by most consumers to make larger than usual purchases in order to pre-empt any hike in electricity tariffs.
Last week, speculations were rife that the DISCOs were contemplating raising electricity tariffs by about 40 percent effective July 1, 2023.
Although some of the DISCOs in their public statements announcing the impending tariff hike urged consumers in their service franchise areas to purchase in bulk electricity units ahead of July 1 deadline, they later reversed the announcements.
The FCCPC said on Friday that the situation was now under control as IKEDC was able to convince the Commission that any vending constraints were not associated with any presumptive changes in tariffs.
The Commission said IKEDC has committed to continuing to conduct its business, including vending of tokens in accordance with prevailing law and tariff at the time of vending.
The Commission restated its warning to IKEDC and other DISCOs that restricting or constricting supply or vending in a manner that prevents or impedes purchases or consumption at consumer discretion in anticipation of any changes in prevailing fiscal regimes constituted an infringement of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018 (FCCPA) and oppressive.
The Commission said Sections 17(g), (x), and 125 of the FCCPA prohibits unconscionable, obnoxious, unfair, unscrupulous business practices, as well as unfair tactics in the course of legitimate business.
Irukera said the Commission would strictly enforce the law to the fullest extent of same, especially when the conduct is to deny citizens access to an essential utility except under the operation of law.
