UPDATE: REPS PLAN TO REMOVE UNIVERSITIES FROM BAND A ELECTRICITY TARIFF

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In an effort to reduce the enormous electricity bill, the House of Representatives pledged to see to it that federal universities were taken off of the Band A electricity rate plan.

This was stated in a statement released on Friday in Abuja by Rep. Abubakar Fulata, the chairman of the House Committee on University Education, following the committee’s inspection of Northeast Federal Universities.

He mentioned Federal University Kashare in Gombe State and Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University in Bauchi as among the federal universities he visited.

According to him, attempts were made to detach colleges and other postsecondary establishments from the Band A category of energy consumers.

Fulata stated that the legislators were committed to removing any barriers that stood in the way of the schools’ efficient operation.

He expressed hope that the government would pay attention to their concerns and, as it did with IPPIS, remove universities from the Band A Plan of electricity customers.

The committee reported that because of an increase in the rate, most colleges were having trouble paying their electricity bills.

Fulata also gave the two colleges’ management the responsibility of making every effort to abide by all applicable legislation, including the Appropriations Act.

The management of ATBU was alerted by committee member Rep. Victor Ogene to certain unconscionable numbers concerning the school’s revenue and expenses for the years 2021 and 2023.

According to him, a government establishment shouldn’t be spending more money on a revenue-generating establishment like a guest house than it makes.

“Will it be appropriate to get less than N800, 000 from the school guest house and spend over N5 million to maintain it? Ogene queried.

Rep. Adamu Gamawa, another member, said extra-budgetary spending was not allowed as it is unconstitutional.

“For instance, you cannot budget N10 million and spend N15 million. That is why there is room for a supplementary budget,” Adamu said.

Prof. Sani Kunya, the Vice -Chancellor, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi, commended the committee and sought the lawmakers’ support to address challenges facing the institution.

In the same vein, The Vice-Chancellor, Federal University Kashare, Gombe State, Prof. Usman Pate, hailed the lawmakers for visiting the school.