NLC Wants Halt To Electricity Tariff Increment

From left: Bauchi State Deputy GovernorAlhaji Nuhu Gidado, National President of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (rtean), Alhaji Musa Isiwele and National Deputy President rtean.

The Nigeria Labour
Congress (NLC) Central Working Committee (CWC) has urged the Federal Government to halt the electricity tariff increment in the country and obey legitimate  court order.
In a statement in Abuja on Tuesday at the opening session of the NLC CWC meeting, President of NLC, Comrade Wabba Ayuba restated the position of the congress to the increment, alleging that it is illegal, unfair, and an unjustifiable exploitation of hapless Nigerians.
Ayuba said that the Federal Government is disobeying a legitimate court order of the Federal High Court, Lagos, presided by Honourable Justice Mohammed Idris and going ahead with the new increment of 45 per cent in electricity tariff despite a subsisting order of the court.
The labour leader said due process in the extant laws for such an increment was not followed in consonance with section 76 of the Power Sector Reform Act 2005.
He said that the increment at this time negates the present economic reality and therefore further attempts to impoverish the poor masses, stressing that at a recent meeting of stakeholders in the electricity supply chain it was demanded that an immediate halt be put to this morbid and exploitative intention.
He said that labour is ever ready to mobilise the workers to resist the new tariff through mass protest or picketing of all Discos nationwide and a further directive to all consumers to reject any bill with the new tariff.
Ayuba said that with the mandate given to the organised labour by its stakeholders for strategic communication with relevant government institutions and individuals  including the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), government officials and the leadership of the national have failed to yield any fruitful result of halting the increment.
The union leader explained to the NLC CWC that a joint forum comprising critical stakeholders in the power sector led by the National Assembly and of which NLC was part, was set up with a view to finding an enduring solution, whereupon the Senate ordered a return to the old tariff structure stressing that players in the sector did all they could to frustrate the process including outrageous demands, threats to declare force majeure and with the possible consequence of a power sector collapse.
He further explained that there has been no significant improvement in service delivery by the new power sector investors, adding that most consumers are not mettered in accordance with the signed privatization memorandum (MoU) of November 21, 2013, which stipulates that within 18 months gestation period, all consumers are to be metered, adding that it is an act of apostasy for government to ignore the provisions of the law and the necessary rules meant to regulate matters.
The NLC president added that while all efforts of negotiation were ongoing, the tariff increase has remained and under a worsening power supply situation across the country.
Meanwhile, the NLC faction led by Comrade Joe Ajaero as National President NLC held its CWC meeting in Lagos, where he urged the President Muhammadu Buhari to give priority attention to the power sector.