The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has apologized to Nigerians for saying that they keep freezers on for days due to cheap electricity tariffs.
While speaking on Channels TV on Thursday, the Minister said:
“Anything we have said that is considered offensive, we are sorry about that,”
The minister had come under fire from many Nigerians in the last week for his comment which was considered offensive. While speaking to newsmen in Abuja, Adelabu had said that Nigerians lack the culture of electricity consumption management because of the “cheap” power supply.
He had made the statement after the government announced a tariff increase for Band A consumers. The minister’s comment generated outrage with some persons calling for his removal.
However, he expressed regret over his comment, saying it “was never intended to insult the sensibilities of Nigerians in any way”.
“It was innocent advice with regard to energy consumption management which we believe will go a long way in reducing people’s energy bills. And that advice was directed at those that we believe that because of the recent increase in tariff will start enjoying 20 hours of power per day,” he said.
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) had on April 3, 2024, raised the electricity tariff for customers enjoying 20 hours of power supply daily. Customers in this category are said to be under the Band A classification.
The increase will see the customers paying N225 kilowatt per hour from the current N66, a development that has been heavily criticized by many Nigerians, considering the immediacy of the tariff hike and the current hardship in the land.
The minister subsequently said the new electricity tariff hike would only affect 1.5 million of the about 12 million consumers in the sector.
