Richard Ginika Izuora
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), on Sunday, January 10, applauded the Federal Government over its directive suspending the recent electricity tariff hike in the country.
The Associations President, Mr Sunday Asefon, gave the commendation in a statement made available to newsmen in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
He said that the suspension of the tariff by the federal government would go a long way in relieving the pains it would have inflicted on electricity consumers upon implementation.
The statement said that NANS took the decision to commend the suspension at its virtual meeting of Jan. 8.
“The meeting extensively reviewed the recent actions taken by President Muhammadu Buhari, intervening and ordering the suspension of the outrageous electricity tariff,” the statement said.
The students’ body described the tariff hike policy as anti-people and ill-timed, as conceived under groaning inflation in the polity.
It noted that putting the implementation of the policy in abeyance would help in pacifying the already incensed consumers.
The statement also commended the National Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, for reversing the action; saying NANS could have been provoked into organising protests across all campuses; in opposition to the policy, if it had been effected.
The statement further appealed to electricity distribution companies (DisCos) to make prepayment meters available for every household at no extra cost to the consumers, as being witnessed in civilised climes.
“That NANS had earlier rejected the hike in the electricity tariff; as we believe that the hike was insensitive, ill-timed, and anti-people.
“We commend President Buhari for hearkening to the agitations of Nigerians. I want to say unequivocally that the suspension of the tariff hike is commendable at this time.
“We, therefore, call on our members across the country to suspend action; and see how the compliance with the reversal will be”, the association said.