Uche Cecil Izuora
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has asked the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to jettison the intention of migrating electricity consumers from lower tariffs to Band A.
The rejection was contained in a communique issued at the end of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the NLC held in Yola, Adamawa State, which was endorsed by Mr Joe Ajaero, President of NLC and Mr Emmanuel Ugboaja, General Secretary of the Congress.
The Union said NEC “unequivocally” rejected the ongoing reclassification of electricity consumers by the NERC.
They said the plan to migrate consumers from lower bands to band A under the guise of service improvement would lead to unjustified extortion of the masses and economic hardship for the working class and broader Nigerian populace.
According to them, the migration would further deepen the misery of Nigerians.
“Whereas inflation has soared, wages remain stagnant, and the cost of living has become unbearable.
“The NEC-in-session warned that any attempt to announce further electricity tariff increases would be met with mass resistance.
“The Congress resolved to immediately mobilise for a nationwide protest should the Ministry of Power and NERC proceed with their exploitative plan to further hike electricity tariffs under any guise,” they said.
The labour leaders also said that NEC acknowledged the agreement reached between NLC and the Federal Government through the Joint 10-Man Committee, which reduced the initially proposed telecommunications tariff hike from 50 to 35 per cent.
They said NEC resolved that if the agreement was not implemented by March 1, it will direct its National Administrative Council (NAC) to deploy all necessary instruments to enforce compliance.