The Complete 2004 Laws of Nigeria

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  (iv) the Academic Community;

  (v) the Nigerian Society of Engineers;
 
 (vi) the Nigerian Union of Journalists; and

(vii) the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria.

(2) The members of the Commission shall be appointed  by the President.

(3) The members of the Commission shall be appointed on part-time basis and shall
be entitled to sitting allowance and such other allowances as may be determined by the
Commission after consultation with the Federal Ministry of Finance.

(4) The supplementary provisions contained in the First Schedule to this Act shall
have effect with respect to the proceedings of the Commission and the other matters
mentioned therein.

[First Schedule.]

PART II

Secretary and other staff of the Commission

3. Appointment of executive secretary 

(1) There shall be appointed by the President an executi ve secretary to the Commis-
sion who shall hold a rank not below that of a Permanent Secretary in the Civil Service of
the Federation.

(2) The Executive Secretary shall assist the chairman in the execution of the policies
of the Commission and the day-to-day running of the affairs of the Commission and shall
carry out such other duties as may be required of him from time to time by the chairman.

(3) The Executive Secretary shall hold office for a period of five years and shall be
eligible for re-appointment for one further term of five years, after which he shall vacate
office.

(4) Subject to the provision of this section, the Executive Secretary shall hold office
on such terms as to emolument and otherwise as may be specified in his letter of appointment.

4. Other staff of the Commission 

(1) The Commission may appoint such other persons to be officers and servants of
the Commission as it may deem tit.

(2) The remuneration and tenure of office of the officers and employees of the Commission 
shall be in accordance with what prevails in the public service of the Federation.

(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, officers and employees 
of the Commission may be appointed by the Commission by way of transfer or
secondment from any of the public services in the Federation.

5. Service in the Commission to be pensionable 

(1) Service in the Commission shall be approved service within the context of the
Pensions Act.

[Cap. P4.]

(2) Officers and other persons employed in the Commission shall in respect of their
service in the Commission be entitled to pensions, gratuities and other retirement benefits
enjoyed by persons holding equivalent grades in the public service of the Federation.

(3) Nothing in this Act shall prevent the appointment of a person to any office in the
Commission on terms which preclude the grant of a pension and gratuity in respect of
that office.

PART III

Functions

6. Functions of the Commission

It shall be the duty of the Commission-

      (a)        to evaluate, on a continuing basis, trends in tariffs charged by any of the public
utilities listed in the Second Schedule to this Act (in this Act referred to as
"Scheduled Utilities") with a view to providing the Federal Government with
such information as would enable the Federal Government to determine 
permissible increases;

[Second Schedule.]

      (b)        to advise the Federal Government on guidelines within which increases in
tariffs should be confined by Scheduled Utilities;

      (c)        to design and develop an adequate information system relating to the Scheduled
Utilities and their tariff charges;

      (d)        to keep charges and tariffs under constant surveillance and propose measures-

(i) to regulate tariff charges;

(ii) to prevent undue exploitation of consumers by Scheduled Utilities;

             (e)        to study requests from consumers, the public and private utility providers on
charges in utility rates and make appropriate recommendation in relation
thereto;

                                 (f)         to recommend to the Federal Government the prevailing public utilities rates;

              (g)       to undertake any other activity likely to assist in the performance of the functions
conferred on the Commission pursuant to this Act;

       (h)       to do anything which in the opinion of the Commission is calculated to facilitate the
carrying out of the functions of the Commission under this Act; and

             (i)         to examine and advise on any matter referred to it by the Federal and State
Governments, concerning any of the functions conferred on it by or pursuant to this Act.

7. Approval to increase rates, etc.

(l) As from the commencement of this Act, a Scheduled Utility intending to vary or
increase its charges, tariff or rates shall first seek the Commission's approval for such
permissible increase.

(2) A person who contravenes the provisions of subsection (1)  of this section commits an
offence under this Act and is liable on conviction to a tine of HI 0,000.

8. Complaint by persons

A person aggrieved by any tariff or rate imposed or services provided by a Scheduled
Utility may forward his compliant in writing to the Commission which shall inquire into
the cause and circumstances of the complaint and endeavour to bring about a settlement.

9. Power of Commission to initiate investigation into rates, etc.

For the purposes of this Act, the Commission may on its own initiative-

             (a)        initiate an investigation into the rates, charges or services, provided by any
public utilities supplier;

                                 (b)       determine the manner by which a complaint is to be made;

              (c)        set up such technical committees as it deems fit to investigate any complaint
and report back to the Commission.

10. Principles to be considered

The Commission in fixing any rate or coming to a decision shall consider-

    (a)       the broad principles relating to costs, the need to eliminate waste and ensure
that consumers are not made to absorb avoidable costs; and

                       (b)       the rate of return on capital invested by a Scheduled Utility.

11. Guidelines and enforcement

(1) The Commission may from time to time and shall when so directed by the Presi-
dent, prepare guidelines on any question relating to tariff charges or permissible increase
or services of any description provided by any Scheduled Utility or to returns on capital
invested in any form of property owned by any such Scheduled Utility.

(2) Guidelines prepared pursuant to subsection (1)  of this section, shall be submitted
to the President who may direct such action thereon as he may consider tit in the circumstances.

(3) When the President directs the enforcement of any matter pursuant to this section,
it shall be the duty of the Commission to implement any such direction.

(4) The Commission shall give public notice in any manner as it may determine of
any matter required to be enforced pursuant to this section.

(5) A person who contravenes any guideline issued under the provisions of this section
commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of HI 0,000 or imprisonment
for two years or to both such fine and imprisonment. 

12. Power to obtain information

(1) For the purpose of carrying out the functions conferred on the Commission under
this Act, the Executive Secretary or any other officer of the Commission authorised in
that behalf-

      (a)    shall have a right of access at all reasonable times to records of any Scheduled
Utilities listed;

             (b)        may by notice in writing served on any person in charge of any such Scheduled
Utilities require that person to furnish information on such matters as may
be specified in the notice.

(2) It shall be the duty of any person required to furnish any information pursuant to
subsection (1)  of this section to comply with the notice within a reasonable period of
time.

13. Offence

(l) If a person required to furnish any information pursuant to section 12 of this Act
fails to furnish the information as required under that section, he commits an offence and
is liable on conviction to a fine of N10, 000 or imprisonment for two years or to both such
fine and imprisonment.

(2) If a person in purported compliance with a requirement to furnish information as
aforesaid, knowingly or recklessly makes any statement therein which is false in a material
particular, he commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of N 10,000 or
imprisonment for two years or to both such fine and imprisonment.

(3) A person who willfully obstructs, interferes with, assaults or resists an officer of
the Commission in the execution of his duties under this Act or who aids, induces or
abets any other person to obstruct, interfere with, assault or resist the officer, commits an
offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of N 1 ,000 or imprisonment for a term not
exceeding six months or to both such fine and imprisonment.

14. Offence by bodies corporate, etc.

Where an offence under this Act is committed by a body corporate, firm or other as-
sociation of individuals-

             (a)        every director, manager, secretary, or other similar officer of the body corporate;
        
             (b)       every partner or other similar officer of the firm;

                                 (c)        every trustee of the body concerned;

              (d)       every person concerned in the management of the affairs of the association;
and
             (e)        every person who was purporting to act in any such capacity as aforesaid,
shall severally be guilty of that offence and liable to be proceeded against and punished
for the offence in like manner as if he had himself committed the offence, unless he
proves that the act or omission constituting the offence took place without his knowledge,
consent or connivance. 

PART IV

Financial provisions

15. Funds

The Commission shall establish and maintain a fund consisting of such moneys as
may in each year be appropriated by the Federal Government for the purpose of the
functions of the Commission under this Act.

16. Accounts and audit

(1) The Board shall, before 30 September in each year, cause to be prepared an estimate
of the expenditure and income of the Commission during the next succeeding year
and when approved by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the estimates
shall be forwarded for approval by the Federal Government.

(2) The accounts of the Commission shall be audited annually by an auditor appointed by
the Board from the list and in accordance with guidelines supplied by the
Auditor-General for the Federation.

17. Annual reports

The Commission shall prepare and submit to the President not later than the 31 st day
of December in each year, a report of the activities of the Commission during the immediately
preceding year, and shall include in that report a copy of the audited accounts of
the Commission for that year and the auditor's report thereon.

PART V

Miscellaneous

18. Regulations

The Commission may with the approval of the Federal Government make regulations
for carrying into effect the provisions of this Act.

19. Interpretation

In this Act unless the context otherwise requires-

"Commission" means the Utilities Charges Commission established by section 1 of
this Act;

"functions" includes powers and duties.

20. Short title

This Act may be cited as the Utilities Charges Commission Act. 

SCHEDULES

FIRST SCHEDULE
 [Section 2 (4).]

Proceedings of the Commission

1. The Commission may make standing orders regulating its proceedings or of its committees.

2. The quorum of the Commission shall be five and the quorum of any committee of the
Commission shall be determined by the Commission.

3. At any time while the office of the chairman is vacant or the chairman is in the opinion of
the Commission temporarily or permanently unable to perform the functions of his office, a
member of the Commission duly appointed by the Commission shall perform those functions
and references in this Schedule to the chairman shall be construed accordingly.

4.   (1) Subject to the provisions of any applicable standing orders, the Commission shall
meet whenever summoned by the chairman; and if the chairman is required so to do by notice
given to him by not less than three other members, he shall summon a meeting of the Commission 
to be held within 21 days from the date on which the notice is given.

(2) At any meeting of the Commission, the chairman, or, in his absence, any member
duly appointed by the Commission, shall preside at that meeting.

(3) Where the Commission wishes to obtain the advice of any person on a particular
matter, the Commission may co-opt such person as a member for such period as it thinks fit,
but a person who is a member by virtue of this subparagraph shall not be entitled to vote at
any meeting of the Commission and shall not count towards a quorum.

5.   (1) The Commission may appoint one or more committees to carry out on its behalf any
of its functions as the Commission may determine.

(2) A committee appointed under this paragraph shall consist of the number of persons
determined by the Commission and not more than one third of those persons may be persons
who are not members of the Commission; and a person other than a member of the Commission
shall hold office on the committee in accordance with the terms of the instrument by
which he is appointed.

(3) A decision of a committee of the Commission shall be of no effect until it is confirmed by the Commission.

6. The fixing of the seal of the Commission shall be authenticated by the signature of the
chairman or of some other person or member authorised generally or specifically by the
Commission to act for that purpose.

SECOND SCHEDULE
    [Section 6 (a).]

           List of Public Utilities
(a) National Electric Power Authority (NEPA);
(b) Nigerian Telecommunication Ltd. (NITEL);
(c) Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC);
(d) Nigeria Airways (Domestic Operations);
(e) Nigerian Railway Corporation;
( f ) Ferry Services Organisations;
(g) Nigerian Ports Authority;
(h) Road Transportation Organisations;
(i) Nigerian Postal Services (NIPOST);
(j) such other public utilities as may be determined, from time to time, by the
Commission.