News
EKEDC Denies Extorting Customers Over Ongoing STS 2-Meter Upgrade
The management of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) has denied extorting customers over the ongoing STS 2-meter upgrade.
It insisted that the programme was free for its customers.
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), had on Wednesday warned the Distribution Companies, DISCOs to cease all activities related to the planned replacement of Unistar meters.
Having noticed that some operatives requesting money from unsuspecting citizens for the upgrade, EKEDC has restated that the STS-2 meter upgrade is free and as such no citizen should offer any financial gratification or other forms of gratification to anyone in the process of upgrading their meters to the STS-2 platform and had earlier announced a deadline for customers to switch all meters to the STS-2 platform to continue recharging their meters.
The publication of EKEDC stated that their attention has been drawn to the activities of some unscrupulous members of the society demanding payment for the STS – 2 meter upgrade process, while informing customers and the general public that the STS 2 meter upgrade is free and EKEDC would not make demands of anyone to pay for the upgrade.
In a statement tagged “Obsolete Meters”, Violation of Consumers Rights Will Have Stiff Consequences, the FCCPA called for a halt on such activities.
According to the statement, “Sections 17(j), (l) (s), 116 (2), 124, 125, 138 and 155 of the FCCPA Act 2018, “ The FCCPC notes with concern recent rumours that its directive to Ikeja and Eko electricity distribution companies (IKEDC and EKEDC) to immediately cease all activities related to the planned replacement of Unistar meters may be flouted. The directive remains in full force, and any attempt by these DisCos to proceed in contravention of it will attract severe consequences.”
The statement issued by Director, Corporate Affairs, FCCPA, Ondaje Ijagwu, stated that contrary to recent rumours, the approval of new meter prices by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has no connection with the proposed replacement of Unistar meters by Ikeja Electric and EKEDC, adding that the planned replacement has been invalidated by both the FCCPC and NERC, and there is no indication that the affected DisCos have breached our directives.
It added that it is essential to clarify that Ikeja and Eko DisCos cannot proceed with the withdrawal or replacement of the Unistar meters unless they fully comply with NERC’s Order on Structured Replacement of Faulty and Obsolete End-user Customer Meters in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (Order No. NERC/246/2021).
The order, according to the statement mandated that meter replacements must be prompt, without disrupting service and at no cost to the consumer; and ensuring that consumers are not subjected to estimated billing due to delayed installations.
It said that the FCCPC’s position remains clear as non-compliance with these directives by Ikeja and Eko DisCos will not be tolerated, stressing that any breach of the directive will attract stiff penalties in line with the provisions of existing consumer protection laws.
News
Rivers Assembly Formally Serves Impeachment Notice To Gov. Fubara
The Rivers State House of Assembly has formally served an impeachment notice to Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu.
The move marks the third major attempt to remove the governor since 2023, following his return to office in September 2025 after a six-month state of emergency.
Recall that the assembly on Thursday during an emergency plenary, commenced the impeachment of the governor and his deputy.
26 members of the House accused the governor of misconduct, capable of undermining democracy in the state.
The notice which was addressed to the governor, contained the signature of at least 19 lawmakers.
The notice also contained about 8 alleged gross misconducts by the governor and his administration.
In a post on its official Facebook page,the assembly said, “The impeachment notice has been successfully served on the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara”.

News
NCC, CBN Set To Roll Out Refund Framework For Failed Airtime And Data Transactions
In line with the consumer-focused objectives of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the two regulators have drawn up a framework to address consumer complaints arising from unsuccessful airtime and data transactions during network downtimes, system glitches, or human input errors.
The framework is the outcome of several months of engagements involving the NCC, the CBN, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Value Added Service (VAS) providers, Deposit Money Banks (DMBs), and other relevant stakeholders. These engagements were prompted by a rising incidence of failed airtime and data purchases, where subscribers were debited without receiving value and experienced delays in resolution.
The Framework represents a unified position by both the telecommunications and financial sectors on addressing such complaints. It identifies and tackles the root causes of failed airtime and data transactions, including instances where bank accounts are debited without successful delivery of services. It also prescribes an enforceable Service Level Agreement (SLA) for MNOs and DMBs, clearly outlining the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder in the transaction and resolution process.
Under the new framework, where a purchaser is debited but fails to receive value for airtime or data—whether the failure occurs at the bank level or with an NCC licensee—the purchaser is entitled to a refund within 30 seconds, except in circumstances where the transaction remains pending, of which the refund can take up to 24 hours.
The framework further mandates operators to notify consumers via SMS of the success or failure of every transaction. It also addresses erroneous recharges to ported lines, incorrect airtime or data purchases, and instances where transactions are made to the wrong phone number.
Speaking on the development, the Director of Consumer Affairs at the NCC, Mrs. Freda Bruce-Bennett disclosed that the framework also establishes a Central Monitoring Dashboard to be jointly hosted by the NCC and the CBN. According to her, the dashboard will enable both regulators to monitor failures, the responsible party, refunds, and track SLA breaches in real time.
“Failed top-ups rank among the top three consumer complaints, and in line with our commitment to addressing these priority issues, we were determined to resolve it within the shortest possible time,” she said.
“We are grateful to all stakeholders—particularly the Central Bank of Nigeria and its leadership—for their tireless commitment to resolving this issue and arriving at this framework, and for ensuring that consumers of telecommunications services receive full value for their purchases.
“So far, pending the approval of management of both regulators on the framework, MNOs and banks have collectively made refunds of over N10 billion to customers for failed transactions.”
Mrs. Bruce-Bennett further noted that implementation of the framework is expected to commence on March 1, 2026, once the two regulators have made final approvals, and technical integration by all MNOs, VAS providers and DMBs is concluded.
News
PRESIDENT TINUBU HAILS NRS CHAIRMAN, ZACCH ADEDEJI, ON HIS BIRTHDAY
President Bola Tinubu congratulates Dr Zacch Adedeji, the Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, on his birthday.
President Tinubu commends Adedeji’s sterling leadership of the 83-year-old revenue agency, the introduction of fresh ideas, the adoption of global best practices, the automation of systems, and the upskilling of staff members for the greater good of the nation.
“I salute the NRS Chairman for his visionary and charismatic dedication in restructuring, aligning and managing the revenue profile of the country.
“He recorded a historic achievement, meeting the budget targets in the Third Quarter of 2025, and stimulating the economy for prosperity.
“Zacch has also been instrumental in the adoption of the National Single Window, a transformative federal digital platform to streamline import and export processes, enhance transparency and reduce cargo clearance from 21 days to one week,” the President remarks.
Dr Adedeji previously served as a senior member of Procter & Gamble’s management team, as Commissioner of Finance for Oyo State, and as Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council, where he established the National Sugar Institute.
He also served as Special Adviser to the President on Revenue before being appointed as FIRS chairman in September 2023.
The President prays that the Almighty God will grant the NRS Chairman more years of good health, wisdom and strength to keep serving the nation.
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