FCCPC’s Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Babatunde Irukera
By Editor
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has said that it received several complaints from electricity consumers in the franchise area of Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC).
The Commission said that these complaints were with respect to their inability to purchase electricity tokens or units for their prepaid meters over a recent extended period of time.
The FCCPC’s Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Babatunde Irukera said on Friday that the Commission had been in engagement with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and IKEDC in order to resolve these complaints and any associated difficulties with vending or purchasing tokens.
The FCCPC said that it understood that the difficulties arose partly because the past days had been public holidays; and vending agents were inundated with significant purchases in excess of usual vending and purchase, as a result of consumers seeking to make larger than usual purchases in order to pre-empt any perceived change in tariffs purportedly on July 1, 2023 as had been rumoured, perceived or represented publicly.
The FCCPC said that the situation was currently under control and IKEDC represented to the Commission that any vending constraints were unassociated with any presumptive changes in tariff.
FCCPC said that IKEDC had committed to continuing to conduct its business, including vending tokens in accordance with prevailing law and tariff of the time of vending.
The Commission therefore noted to IKEDC and now reiterated to other Discos that restricting or constricting supply or vending in a manner that prevented or impeded 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 was impermissibly oppressive.
Recall that Sections 17(g), (x) and 125 of the FCCPA prohibits unconscionable, obnoxious, unfair, unscrupulous business practises, as well as unfair tactics in the course of legitimate business.
The FCCPC said it would enforce the law to the fullest extent of same, especially when the conduct was to deny citizens access to an essential utility, except under operation of law.
