TUC vows to resist increase in electricity tariff
TUC President, Bobboi Bala Kaigama
MEMBERS of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) have vowed to resist reported plans by electricity distribution companies in the country to increase tariff by 49.4 percent.
TUC in a statement described the reported plans as “wrong and lacks human face” especially “In view of the present harsh economic realities in the land”.
According to TUC, a number of proposals have already been submitted to the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) pursuant to this objective.
The statement issued by TUC President, Bobboi Bala Kaigama and Secretary-Genera, Musa Lawal said: “Why should the masses be at the receiving end of every wrong and retrogressive policy in the country? Why must they always pay for what the rich consume more of? What sense does it make for a man who earns less than N20, 000 per month to be made to pay over N8, 000 for electricity bill alone within the same month? Why should they pay so much for what they do not use regularly enough, with officers of the distribution companies rarely bothering to read the analogue metres? Why should these questionable issues that are spared no thought in other climes always take centre stage in Nigeria? Surely, Nigerians deserve a much better deal”.
TUC added: “Also, the Congress is informed that NERC is considering introducing measures that will facilitate reduction of the rate of the fixed charge on consumers. What has been happening all along is same with what is obtainable in the telecom sector. They either assign tones to subscribers or enrol them on plans that attract daily, weekly or monthly deductions. We say no to this idea. The N750 charge is fundamentally fraudulent and unjust and must be outrightly abolished. Anyone canvassing its sustenance or any increase in tariff does a grave disservice to the nation.
Implementation of the planned increase would amount to an invitation to anarchy. It is totally oppressive, indefensible and retrogressive. Little wonder that the NERC has been foot-dragging on the issue of making prepaid meters readily available to consumers of electricity because of the excessive billing they have been imposing on all and sundry.
“There is no gainsaying the fact that the present billing system is crazy, and any increase in tariff at this time is bound to make it even crazier.
“The NERC and DISCO would do well to shun anything that would attract the wrath of the masses.
Rather, Nigerians expect them to earnestly adopt genuinely consumer-friendly policies. The fact that power supply is relatively improved within the last few months does not mean that the myriad of challenges bedevilling the sector are over”.
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5 Comments
The eletrivity regulatory body is a miasma of debilitating equivocation and prevarication
Hmmmmmme , very soon Nigerians will work for entire month and use it to pay as electricity bill and starve to death. …….hmmmm APC-Led government act wisely now pls
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That is the hallmark of an incompetent NERC led by greedy Sam Amadi, who is always clamoring for increases with out correspondent increases in salaries of poor civil servants that are earning peanuts, yet are made to pay for crazy bills by corrupt Discos and Gencos. TUC should stand their grounds and resist this criminal behaviour by NERC and the DISCOS.
our power problem is simply the fault of NERC, the regulator that is supposed to be improving the sector. it is time for the agency head to removed and an effective leader hired. a leader that would mandate disco install locally made meter to all customers and bill the customers for only the electricity used.
We will review and take appropriate action.