Human rights advocate Femi Falana has expressed strong disapproval of the Federal Government’s actions, particularly criticizing Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, for what he perceives as a failure to serve the interests of Nigerians.
Falana’s comments came in response to Adelabu’s recent appearance before the Senate to justify an increase in electricity tariffs, scheduled to take effect on Monday.
Falana asserted that the tariff hike lacks legal basis, citing Section 116 of the Electricity Act 2023, which mandates a public hearing before any tariff increase.
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He also questioned the justification for the increase, alleging a lack of transparency from both the minister and the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission.
Moreover, Falana expressed concern over what he sees as the government’s compliance with directives from international financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.
He accused the government of prioritizing neoliberal policies over the welfare of Nigerians, pointing out inconsistencies in Western countries’ approach to subsidies compared to their advice to Nigeria.
Adelabu attempted to address the public outcry by explaining that only customers in Band A, receiving around 20 hours of electricity daily, would be affected by the tariff increase.
However, Falana remains unconvinced, arguing that such differentiation among customers violates Nigerian law and is unjustifiable given the consistent lack of adequate service.
Despite Adelabu’s appearance before the Senate to address concerns about the tariff hike, Falana doubts the effectiveness of the probe and advocates for legal action to compel the minister and the Attorney General to defend their actions in court.
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