Niger Assembly threatens to enact no-electricity, no-bill law

OUTRAGED at poor electricity supply, the Niger State House of Assembly has threatened that the residents of the state may no longer pay for the electricity they did not consume.

Indeed, the House summoned the Business Manager of Abuja Electricity Distribution Centre (AEDC) Minna Business District to explain the epileptic electricity supply in the state.

After about two hours of hot exchanges between the lawmakers and officials of the AEDC, led by the Regional Business Manager, Mr. Akuboku Emenike, the house warned that it would no longer tolerate a situation where innocent citizens would be made to pay for what they did not enjoy.

Emenike’s explanation however, did not appear to satisfy some lawmakers, with one of them threatening that the state may be forced to enact a “no electricity, no bill” law where the people will not pay for the power they did not enjoy.

Emenike said the cause of the persistent power failure in the past few weeks was due to vandalism of one of its national towers.

Meanwhile, a group of aggrieved All Progressive Congress (APC) members in Shiroro Local Government Area of the state marched peacefully to the house of assembly in Minna in protest against the nomination of female commissioner from the area.

The protesters, made mostly of youths and women carrying placards with different inscription, arrived at the House in about 10 loads of vehicles.

As early as 10.50am the protesters arrived the gates leading to the House of assembly complex chanting war songs and speaking unprintable words, demanding to see the Speaker, Alhaji Ahmed Marafa, but met gates to the assembly complex under lock.

Some of the placards read, “we don’t want a female Commissioner”, “why should Shiroro have a female commissioner, we don’t know Serah, enough is enough of this government”.

The Speaker, accompanied by some legislators and the Clerk of the House Alhaji Abdullahi Kagara eventually came out to address the demonstrators.

After listening to their complaints Alhaji Marafa assured the protesters that the matter would be looked into by the house, stressing that “You will realize that we have not called her for screening we will do justice to your complaint.”

Leader of the protesters, Alhaji Ibrahim Ishyaku Kuta said they oppose the nomination of Serah as commissioner because she did not join in the struggle to install the APC government.

“We don’t know her we only hear that she is in Lagos how can somebody who does not know our area be picked to represent us.”

Emenike explained that coupled with the prevalent spate of vandalization, the state also owes unpaid electricity bills amounting to N695 million.

“The amount the state owes is N695 million in all local government areas and the state is supposed to pay it by this month end.