Renowned political economist and public affairs analyst, Professor Pat Utomi, has issued a scathing rebuke of the Federal Government’s Band A electricity tariff, describing the policy as “exploitative, economically senseless, and dangerous to the welfare of working Nigerians.”
Speaking at a press conference organized by The Big Tent, a civic engagement coalition he convenes, Utomi demanded an urgent revalidation and possible scrapping of the Band A tariff structure, accusing the government of implementing a system that “reaps off” ordinary citizens under the guise of improved electricity supply.
“A university professor in Band A, for instance, spends 75 per cent of his salary on electricity tariff alone,” Utomi lamented. “If not speedily revalidated, this tariff system will further impoverish Nigerians, especially the working class.”
Band A, introduced by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), categorizes customers who reportedly receive a minimum of 20 hours of electricity daily — and charges them significantly higher rates. But Utomi questioned the integrity and logic of the policy, noting that Nigerians are often made to pay more without corresponding service delivery.
He stressed that the policy makes no economic sense in a country where salaries remain stagnant, poverty is rising, and most citizens still rely on generators due to unreliable power supply.
Utomi didn’t stop at electricity. He used the platform to slam the National Assembly for neglecting critical legislative reforms, particularly around elections, insecurity, and the land tenure system.
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“It is sad that till this moment, the National Assembly has yet to finish all reforms on our elections,” Utomi said. “It will be a disservice to Nigeria if the nation goes into 2027 with a flawed constitution.”
He described the continued absence of decentralised policing as a grave legislative failure, adding that the worsening insecurity in rural areas is decimating livelihoods, especially among peasant farmers who now live in “chronic poverty.”
“The severity of the insecurity in Nigeria has prevented farmers from going to their fields. We must move away from where we stand currently, and Nigerians must rally to save the country.”
Utomi called for a multi-level policing structure, urging constitutional amendments to allow communities, local councils, and states to establish armed security outfits alongside federal forces.
He also reignited the conversation on agricultural reforms, calling for greater involvement of universities in extension services and the resuscitation of the Forest Rangers scheme originally proposed during Chief Audu Ogbeh’s tenure as agriculture minister.
“Fighting poverty with passion will reduce insecurity. Deprived and vulnerable people are easy recruits for those minded to politically or criminally upset the status quo,” he warned.
On the economy, Utomi lamented that farmers and entrepreneurs lack access to financing, noting that a dysfunctional **land tenure system** has rendered land an unusable asset for collateral.
“The National Assembly must also get to work on the land tenure system. Land registries should give value to all land, make them easy to sell and buy, and enable financing.”
Finally, he addressed Nigeria’s deepening political apathy, blaming politicians for exploiting voters and failing to deliver results.
“Many people are fed up with being used and dumped by politicians. We need a new kind of political engagement that rekindles trust and creates interest in the electoral process.”
Pat Utomi’s hard-hitting remarks serve as a wake-up call to a government increasingly accused of being tone-deaf to the suffering of ordinary Nigerians, and to a political class more interested in privilege than policy.
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