Consumers of electricity and telecommunication in Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states have expressed concern over the high rate of tariff and called for downward review.
The consumers passionately pleaded with government, companies and other relevant stakeholders to consider the plights of Nigerians and reverse the recent increments for the good of all.
They made their position known in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in response to the recent tariff hike.
The consumers expressed disappointment over the increased tariff amidst epileptic or poor service delivery from the service providers.
A civil servant in Sokoto, Malam Isma’ila Umar, described the tariff hike as a source of punishment to Nigerians, especially in recognition of the already difficult situation that engulfed the citizens.
Umar observed that: “A middle level civil servant cannot afford a bag of N50kg rice, talk-less of other house needs, while transport fares and children school fees are other obligations that must be attended to.
”Electricity and telecommunication services have become part and percel of our lives, so, we must budget for these services. Therefore, the increment is an additional burden to our daily lives.”
He described the situation as worrisome given the economic hardship being faced by Nigerians and urged government and other stakeholders to streamline action towards a modest way of alleviating the hardship.
A community activist in Sokoto state, Mr Sanusi Sarki, said, previously, he used to spend N6,000 monthly on data, “however, at present, I spent about N28,000.”
Sarki complained that despite the telecom tariff hike, the network was highly unfriendly, poor and non conducive, adding that many businesses were affected.
According to him, the same thing applies to electricity companies, saying that the supply had deteriorated, thereby crippling many businesses as well as formal and non-formal communication.
He urged the power distribution companies to ensure steady and consistent electricity supply to their customers.
A Journalist, Mr Suleiman Nasir, lamented that in spite of the increase in tariff by the telecom service providers, in most cases the network was bad, which often affect his work.
”We are not enjoying quality network from the service providers, this is exploitation, the price of data now triple its previous price, they are just exploiting Nigerians,” he said.
According to him, the N3,000 data he used to buy previously now cost about N9,000 and most time the network will be very poor to facilitate seamless work.
On electricity, Nasir cited areas like Dambua, Offa Road, old Airport Road and other areas in Sokoto metropolis as places where hardly get up to 12 hours of electricity supply in a day.
He said the situation had coerced some residents to procure power generating sets to generate energy for both business and personal use.
Nasir observed that life had not only become miserable but also unbearable to many Nigerians, “because the blows come from both right, left and centre.
“With high electricity tariff, exorbitant price of fuel and telecommunication service hike, life has become miserable for residents.”
Nasir appealed to the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) and Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to reverse the tariff to enable Nigerians get some relief, while calling on Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) to be alive to its responsibilities.
He also admonished KEDCO to supply prepaid meters to its customers to avoid estimated billing.
Speaking to NAN, the Sokoto State Commissioner for Energy and Petroleum Resources, Alhaji Sanusi Ibrahim, urged KEDCO to improve on its services to facilitate more payments from customers.
Ibrahim lamented that residents of the state would not continue to pay for darkness as against steady electricity supply.
”I urged you to improve on your services to your esteemed consumers before demanding for more money from them.
”Let me advise the Nigerian Electricity Regulation Commission (NERC) and KEDCO to keep in contact with stakeholders before any increment is implemented. Additionally, you need to improve the services in order to generate more revenue.
“Both NERC and KAEDCO should concentrate on how the distribution can serve people better in order to get more money,” he said.
In Gusau, Sufuyanu Dahiru, a vendor selling data and airtime, called for concerted efforts to reverse the tariff and improve the services.
Dahiru stressed that service for both calls and internet were very poor, adding that the amount of money being spent was not commensurate to the services provided.
“Government must be sensitive to the plights of the poor masses, the timing of this hike was very wrong, especially given the current economic hardship being faced by Nigerians,” he said.
In Birnin Kebbi, a Student of Mass Communication at Umaru Waziri Federal Polytechnic, Garba Dalhatu, observed that the cost of living in Nigerian was increasingly becoming difficult for the average citizens.
Dalhatu lamented that due to high cost of food, transportation, energy, and now data, many Nigerians, especially students were paying for the price.
”Many Nigerians are struggling to pay for their children school fees, provide food for their families, pay electricity bills and recharge their cellphones.
“For some time now, an average Nigerian finds it very difficult to buy data or recharge his/her cellphone in view of the hike in tariff,” he said.
Mr Ibrahim Ahmad, a businessman in Argungu, said the poor telecommunication service was critically affecting the cashless policy of government.
Ahmad added that the poor services had also affected many businesses, thereby causing havoc to the nation’s economy.
He also explained that the epileptic power supply, couple with high tariff and high cost of fuel had negatively affected many rice millers in the state, saying that significant number of millers have been pushed out of business.
