Electricity tariff hike: Labour set for protest today

The Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress, Civil Society allies and electricity consumers across the country will today take to the streets to protest the recent 45 per cent increase in the tariff of electricity by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Comrade Ayuba Wabba, Friday, said the protest […]

The Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress, Civil Society allies and electricity consumers across the country will today take to the streets to protest the recent 45 per cent increase in the tariff of electricity by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Comrade Ayuba Wabba, Friday, said the protest will take place simultaneously in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
 Wabba said the Abuja protest will take them to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company where workers of the company will be picketed and then to the National Assembly to register their grievances to the legislatures.
 Wabba explained that the decision to protest the electricity tariff hike is hinged on the fact that the due process in the extant laws for such increment was not followed in consonance with Section 76 of the Power Sector Reform Act, 2005 and that there has been no significant improvement in service delivery.
 He chided the Minister of Power, Works and Housing Mr. Babatunde  Raji Fashola  for advancing  spurious argument to justify the tariff increase, adding  that the increment at this time of  economic recession will  further impoverish the poor masses.
“We stakeholders, on Increment in Electricity Tariff (a broad coalition) met in Lagos on January 28, 2016 and issued a communiqué demanding an “immediate halt of this morbid and exploitative intention” failure of which would lead to mobilization of all Nigerians to resist the new tariff and picketing of all DISCOs’ offices across the country, directing all consumers to reject any bill with the new tariff and other actions necessary.
“We reached out to core government constituencies including the Minister of Power, the leadership of the National Assembly and NERC, all in an effort to find an amicable resolution through the quality of the logic of argument and practical realities on ground which include the incontrovertible fact even before this increment, Nigeria paid the highest tariff per kilo-watt in Africa and contiguous regions. We pay much higher than Egypt and countries with stronger economies.   This tariff increase is only intended to protect the investment of a select few and not to serve the interest of other Nigerians.  So, this increase is illegal, unfair, unjustifiable and a further exploitation of the already exploited Nigerians,” he said
Also, commenting on the electricity tariff hike, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) President, Comrade Bobboi and Secretary General, Barrister Musa Lawal, in a statement, said the minister of Power’s argument that an Act of the National Assembly actually empowers the NERC to increase tariff and that the Act cannot be tampered with even by the federal parliament, is misleading, urging the minister and NERC to stop the enforcement of the obnoxious Act.
“Any Act that preys on the masses that it is supposed to protect negates public policy.  Any Act that compels the citizens to pay for services not delivered is not only flawed and undemocratic but ultra vires the power of the Assembly to make laws for the good of the country, and should not enjoy any applicability. Any Act that further impoverishes the downtrodden and lowly is evil and should be discountenanced.  We lend our voice again to advocate the need for the minister and NERC to stop trying to enforce the obnoxious Act,” said TUC.
The union further said it is high time the minister and proponents of the tariff increase are reminded that one of the major reasons Nigerians   demanded a change of leadership in May 2015 was to heave a sigh of relief and should therefore jettison the idea.