The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has said it will inject N43 billion on 33 projects to improve its network visibility and capacity in its areas of coverage this year.
It said four of the projects that would add 32 megawatts to the national grid would be located in Kogi state.
The Chief Operating Officer of AEDC, Mr Abdulahi Gorebe disclosed this during a meeting with consumers and stakeholders on Thursday in Lokoja.
He explained that the proposed tariff hike was aimed at addressing the imbalance in the rate being paid by consumers.
He said that a situation where consumers in high-brow areas with longer supply hours and those in other areas with lesser hour of supply pay the same rate was not fair.
He said that the proposed tariff rate of between N33 to N39 per kilowatt from the present N24 was to ensure justice and fairness to all categories of customers.
According to him, the money realised from the new tariff, if approved, will be reinvested into the system , saying that consumers will be the ultimate beneficiaries.
The General Manager of the Kogi State District of AEDC, Mr Mutalib Mohammed, said that the district received N700 million of electricity per month out of which only N305 million are recovered from consumers.
Mohammed said that 18 vandalised transformers were replaced in the last 40 days across the state, pleading with consumers to take ownership of facilities in their areas to stop disruption in supply.
The state Commissioner for Information and Communication Strategy, Mr Kingsley Fanwo pleaded with consumers to see reason with AEDC but was quick to add that government will not encourage additional burden on the people.
Consumers and stakeholders at the session, however, rejected the proposed tarrif, saying that it was to further make them pay for services not rendered.
The Organising Secretary of Light Up Lokoja Project, Mr Sheidu Nuhu said categorically that consumers will not pay the new tariff.
He said that the AEDC should improve its services first before increasing the tarrif, saying that this will encourage consumers to voluntarily pay.
