The Federal Government of Nigeria, FGN, has revealed next plan to tackle the rising discontent trailing the electricity tariff hike in the country.
Recall that Nigerians through the organized labour made UP of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and Trade Union Congress, TUC, on Monday, picketed the Distribution Companies across the country.
The protesting unions are seeking the reversal of the electricity tariff hike, which was introduced last month.
Recall that IVNTV NEWS had reported that the organized labour picketed offices of all eleven Electricity Distribution Companies, DisCos. The Unions also picketed the offices of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC.
In Abuja, the protest was led by NLC President, Joe Ajaero, to the Ministry of Power and the NERC headquarters.
Offices of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC, were also shut down as were prevented from resumption.
The report was same in the eleven DisCos in Kwara, Lagos, Kaduna, Plateau, Enugu, Sokoto and other parts of the country.
Speaking during the protest, Ajaero, said NERC should review its methodology for tariff increases in the electricity sector.
He noted the tariff hike is the fundamental cause of the country’s soaring headlines and food inflation. Recall that the inflationary figures have been put at 33.20 per cent and 40.01 per cent in March.
But responding to the protest, the Federal Government said that it is ready to negotiate with organized labour.
This was contained in the statement by the spokesperson for the Ministry of Power, Florence Eke.
Speaking in a telephone interview with DAILY POST after workers crippled activities at the Ministry of Power, stated Government readiness to dialogue with the unions.
Eke stated that the Federal Government, through the Permanent Secretary, Mamman Mahmuda, had convened a consultative meeting for the next week. She said the meeting will be with the organized labour and stakeholders in the power sector. The aim, she said, is to address the matter.
“The Ministry has asserted that its responsibility is to make policy while agencies, in this case, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, and other agencies implement it.
“The Ministry will invite all stakeholders for a proper consultation by next week,” she said.
But the Nigeria Labour Congress spokesperson, Benson Upah, faulted Eke’s statement. He maintained that the Government was supposed to consult before implementing the April 3 electricity tariff hike.
Upah, however, warned that the Tuesday picketing was just a teaser of what was to come. He warned that the Federal Government should reverse the tariff hike.
He said, “They were supposed to do a consultation before the tariff hike. What happened today is a teaser to what will come if the Government does nothing.”
Recall that in April 2024, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, announced a 240 per cent electricity tariff hike. The hike, the Commission stated was for those in Band A category. It stated that this is the category that gets 20-24 hours of power supply.
The hike, which was immediately implemented by the DisCos saw customers in band A paying N225 kwh from N68 Kwh.
The Federal Government has since then through the Ministry of Power been defending the increase. The Minister of Power has at different fora stated that the country would be saving N1.5 trillion. He also maintained that only 15 per cent of the 12.8 million electricity customers would be affected.
But following the outrage that have continued to trail the hike, the Federal Government announced minor reduction of N18.2.
source: Daily Post