Estimated billing: Discos are operated by fraudsters - Reps

A House of Representatives adhoc panel on Wednesday said the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and electricity distribution companies (Discos) are conniving to shortchange and extort money from Nigerians through excessive billing.

The adhoc panel, investigating the need to curb excessive electricity charges being levied on consumers by discos, said majority of the discos are operated by "fraudsters" who are masters in "cheating" electricity consumers across the country.

Chaired by Israel Ajibola Famurewa (APC, Osun), the panel at an investigative hearing in Abuja said both NERC and discos are total failure in ensuring that Nigerians get value for their money concerning electricity consumption.

The chairman of NERC, Prof James Momoh, while responding to questions had told the panel that the commission was doing everything humanly possible to ensure that billing was done in accordance with consumption.