‘How increment of electricity tariff may backfire’

A Lagos based lawyer, ToluwaniAdebiyi has urged the government to stop the proposed 61.5 percent increment of electricity tariff.

According to him, the increment of the tariff will infuriate and pitch the people against the government.
Speaking at the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) House in Yaba, recently, Adebiyi said the economic recession has done enough damage to the image of government and increasing the electricity tariff would escalate the hardship of the masses.

He urged the people to resist the plan to increase the electricity tariff, because: “Discos cannot increase tariff when electricity supply across the nation clearly remains epileptic with daily manifestation of inability to stabilize.

“Discos cannot increase tariff with the present minimum wage which has suffered further devaluation as a result of inflation.”

Similarly, the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM) and Ajegunle People Movement (APM) have demanded that there should be a cancellation of all outstanding debts accumulated on the basis of estimated bills, insisting that there should be no payment for darkness or disconnection.

The groups maintained that there should be no hike in the electricity tariff, while demanding for the installation of free prepaid metre in all houses.

They therefore called on the NLC, United Labour Congress (ULC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the leaders of National Union of Electricity Employee (NUEE) to declare for a day of action against the failed agenda of privatization, which hasn’t improved the electricity sector but has further swell the pocket of private profiteers and to call on government to take back the power sector from the Discos.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian dock-workers of ENL consortium limited has called on NLC and other Nigeria civil society organization to intervene over their rights of ten years unpaid salary, five years unremitted pension, non payment of leave allowance and among others.

According to the dockworkers, some of their members got injured while working for ENL.