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FCCPC petitioned over DisCos’ failure to replace obsolete meters
A customer of the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company, Associate Professor Tunde Akanni, has written a petition to the vice chairman of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission over the utility company’s alleged failure to replace his obsolete prepaid meter.
In the petition titled, ‘SOS On Massive Extortion of Customers by Ikeja Electric Distribution Company,’ Akanni sought the urgent intervention of the FCCPC.
According to him, the IKEDC recently deactivated his Unistar meter despite an order by the FCCPC that the meter should not be deactivated by any DisCo.
“As the sole supplier of electricity in Ikeja, where I live in government quarters, IKEDC recently began to deactivate the Unistar prepaid meters serving residents of LASG quarters at 47, Sobo Arobiodu Street, Ikeja GRA. The deactivation continued after the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC, warned IKEDC against activities on the Unistar meters.
“What they do is await the exhaustion of the running credits on meters, allow customers to recharge their cards, but ensure they are not able to reload. Once this happens and you report back with your complaints, they would tell you that your meter is bad and due for replacement and that they have new meters in abundance. They would convince you to allow the retrieval of the Unistar meter,” he explained.
The don alleged customers were compelled to get reconnected and moved into estimated billing that pushed monthly energy costs from N50,000 to N270,000. This was even as he was asked to pay N120,000 for a new meter.
He stated, “Once the customer begins to feel that his hope is merely hanging, the customers would be compelled to make desperate requests for reconnection, and they would deceitfully reconnect you, but that would make customers pay through their nose. In the past, customers like me whose monthly consumption hardly exceeded N50,000 following the banding regime had been summarily billed as much as N270,000. Fellow residents of government quarters have had to complain to me about their helplessness and their dramatic bankruptcy on account of this arbitrary billing.
“In my own case specifically, my meter was retrieved on December 27, 2024, after recharging with N25,000 but failing to reload following their treacherous deactivation. Against my stated position that I was aware of the FCCPC directive to them, they insisted that I should immediately apply online for a new meter, reiterating that they had new meters in abundance but that I would have to pay N120,000. For fear of wasting all the foods stocked up in the house and to also avoid being slapped with any humongous arbitrary bill, I went to their office to follow up. The response from their customer care operatives at the Ikeja office was that their portal was down, implying that all processes of new meter application had been stalled and therefore arbitrary billing would continue for as long as the portal was down.
“I, therefore, seek your immediate intervention from the shenanigan of IKEDC to stall their onslaught against lawful customers. If they have the effrontery to subject LASG employees living in government quarters to this embarrassing situation, one can imagine what helpless private citizens are being subjected to by IKEDC.”
Officials of the IKEDC were contacted for their reactions to the allegations raised by the customer.
However, they have yet to reply to messages sent to them by our correspondent.
An official, who did not want to be mentioned, said the Unistar meters have always been an issue, saying that was why the company planned to phase out the meters in November before it was stopped by the FCCPC.
Meanwhile, our correspondent recalled that some meters were phased out following their inability to be updated as of November 2024.
The PUNCH reports that about three million customers might be forced into the estimated billing system as the users would no longer be able to buy energy credits.
But the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission ordered that obsolete meters be replaced at no cost to customers and no one should be forced into estimated billing.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has granted an immediate waiver of fees for the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) for the Nigerian Law School’s Abuja campus in Bwari.
Speaking during a meeting with the school’s management in Abuja, Wike also declared an “emergency” on the construction of staff quarters and other critical infrastructure to enhance the institution’s learning environment.
Responding to an appeal from the Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Dr. Olugbemisola Titilayo Odusote, Wike expressed surprise that the institution had operated without a C of O since moving to Bwari.
He described the lack of official documentation for government institutions as a trend that his administration is actively correcting.
The Minister directed the Director of Lands to waive all processing fees for the school’s C of O, and issued a firm directive to ensure the document is processed and ready within one week.
He noted that regularizing the land is essential to move the school from what he colloquially termed an “illegal session” to rightful ownership.
Beyond land matters, the Minister committed the FCT Administration (FCTA) to several high-priority projects aimed at resolving overcrowding and improving staff efficiency.
Wike announced that 10 staff quarters have already been completed and will be commissioned as part of the President’s third anniversary.
He further pledged to construct an additional 10 units using existing prototypes to save on design costs.
According to him, work is progressing on two new hostels—one for male students and one for female students—to alleviate overcrowding.
The Minister confirmed he has approved the budget for a new auditorium and questioned why the contractor had not yet moved to the site.
To modernize administrative functions, Wike directed the school to liaise with the FCTA General Counsel, to explore digitization solutions similar to ongoing efforts at the FCT High Court.
Wike emphasized that these interventions are part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s broader agenda to support legal education and the judiciary.
He noted that the President is currently constructing “presidential apartments” for judges to ensure their security, welfare, and autonomy.
”Anything we can do to help our children, we are willing to do that,” Wike stated, adding that the staff quarters must be treated as an emergency project to ensure rapid delivery.
Earlier, Dr. Odusote congratulated the Minister on his appointment and praised the visible infrastructure developments across the FCT, while highlighting the specific challenges of disrepair and infrastructure deficits facing the Law School.
Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, has assured investors that the government will stay the course on economic reforms, declaring that policy reversals will not define the current phase of the country’s economic management.
The Minister stated this while speaking at the launch of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group Private Sector Outlook 2026 in Lagos on Thursday.
Oyedele said the administration is shifting from stabilisation to measurable growth, where reforms will be judged by outcomes rather than intent.
His comments came barely 48 hours after he assumed office, following the exit of Wale Edun from the Federal Executive Council.
“We are not looking back,” Oyedele said, stressing that consistency in policy direction remains critical to investor confidence.
He warned that mixed signals or abrupt reversals could stall progress, noting that “businesses need to know that today’s decisions will still hold tomorrow.”
While pointing to early signs of macroeconomic stabilisation, including a more aligned exchange rate and improved revenue performance, the minister said these gains must translate into tangible outcomes such as job creation, productivity growth and better living standards.
He identified four priorities for driving investment in the next phase which includes, policy consistency, predictability across fiscal and regulatory frameworks, reduction in the cost of doing business, and improved access to capital.
On financing, Oyedele said the government is working to expand credit across the economy, from consumer lending to industrial financing, with support from institutions such as the Bank of Industry, to stimulate growth and unlock private sector participation.
He added that Nigeria must target stronger real GDP per capita growth to make a meaningful impact on poverty, noting that modest growth figures would not be sufficient given the country’s population dynamics.
The minister further described the current stage of reforms as decisive, where success will depend on execution. “Reforms on their own do not create growth. We need investment at scale,” he said, adding that investors respond to stable and predictable environments, not policy announcements.
On the area of productivity, Oyedele said Nigeria must move beyond consumption-driven expansion and focus on improving output and competitiveness in key sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing, energy and the digital economy.
He also called for deeper collaboration between government and the private sector, maintaining that economic growth cannot be delivered by public policy alone.
As the country enters what he termed a consolidation phase, Oyedele said the government would continue to deepen reforms, strengthen public financial management and improve coordination across all tiers of government.
He, however, acknowledged risks, including reform fatigue, inflationary pressures from global uncertainties, and political tensions ahead of the election cycle, but maintained that these challenges are surmountable with discipline and cooperation.
“Our task now is execution,” Oyedele said.
“This phase demands focus, consistency and accountability. That is the direction we are pursuing he added
The Federal Capital Territory FCT minister Nyesom Wike is presently holding a meeting with primary school teachers in the Territory over ongoing strike.
Watch:
Wike waives C-of-O fees for Nigerian Law School, orders emergency staff housing(Photos)
We’re not going to reverse reforms, Finance Minister, Oyedele tells investors
FCT minister Wike engages teachers over strike(Video)
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