TUC Set To Picket PHED Over New Electricity Tariff

The Trade Union Con
gress of Nigeria (TUC), Rivers State chapter, has announced its preparedness to picket Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Compnay (PHED) offices throughout the state over the implementation of the new electricity tariff on Monday,  February 8.
Speaking to The Tide in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, the state Chairman of the union, Comrade Chika Onuegbu said that the union and its affiliates are fully mobilized for the picketing of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company.
Onuegbu said the union’s action is in line with the National secretariat directive for all the state branches to mobolise members of the union, its affiliates and the civil society to picket the Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs) offices nationwide.
He said that the new electricity tariff is undesirable now that power generation in not commensurate with what Nigerians are paying, stressing that what Nigerians want is normal and regular power supply.
The TUC boss said Nigerians stand pay high for electricity not supplied but only enrich the Electricity Distribution Companies and their owners.
He said that the organised Labour would continue to stand up to protect the rights of Nigerians in the face of obnoxious policies formulated to further impoverish them.
He urged the management of PHED to stop any implementation of the new electricity  lariff increment in the state.
Onuegbu enjoined members of the union, its affiliates and civil society to turn out enmass on Monday February 8 to picket PHED offices in the state.
However, the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has gone ahead to implement the new increase in electricity bill from February 1, 2016 despite the organised private sector (OPS) and organised Labour movement vehement opposition and warning to NERC that the decision would land the commission, the DISCOs and Gencos in trouble.
The organised Labour and other stakeholders, including the Electricity Consumer Protection Forum had on Monday in Abuja totally demanded the immediate suspension of the proposed tariff.
The joint forum threatened to mobilize all Nigerians to resist the new tariff and shut downall Generation and Distribution companies  offices across the country.
The forum equally threatened to charge the companies to court for contempt of court as there was an injunction obtained on May 28, 2015 forbidden the increment.
Even, manufactures Association of Nigeria (MAN) President Dr Franks Jacob said the Assocaition has instructed its members to pay only the old tariff until the case in court between NERC and the Association on the new tariff is concluded.
Jacob said the increment by NERC is illegal and members of the Association would have nothing to do with new electricity lariff.

Philip Okparaji