Amid the protest over the hike in electricity tariff by the federal government, the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Ondo State chapter, has stated that President Bola Tinubu-led federal government has continued to compensate Nigerians who voted for him with harsh economic policies.
The TUC Chairman in the state, Clement Fatuase, who called on Tinubu to halt what he described as anti-masses policies, disclosed that the tariff hike will add more burdens to the plight of Nigerians.
Fatuase stated this during the protest against the hike by the organised labour in the state.
He said: “The essence of this picketing is to register our displeasure on the service of the National Electricity Regulatory Commission and Discos nationwide.
“The new electricity tariff is coming from a government that is heartless, a government that feels that the only thing they can use to compensate those people that voted for them is to add more burden and devalue the dignity of humanity in Nigeria.”
Also speaking with journalists at the picketing of the Discos office, the Ondo state Chairman of the NLC, Comrade Victor Amoko described the recent hike in electricity tariff as unjustifiable.
Amoko flanked by the State JNC Chairman, Comrade Ademola Olapade and other affiliate union chairmen, noted with dismay the untold economic hardship the hike would have been causing the citizenry.
He said: “We discovered that the FG is so silent over the tariff hike and we observed that the FG is intentionally supporting them to frustrate us. We say no to increment in tariff. Before now, we don’t have adequate electricity supply despite paying hug among of money.
“In Akure for instance, for good four days, we won’t have electricity supply and they keep increasing the tariff. We are saying enough is enough.
“What they’re doing is clandestinely shock-changing the entire populace. We don’t want it anymore.”
The protest which was in compliance with organised labour national leadership’s directive over the recent action of the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) had the headquarters of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), located at NEPA area of Akure, the state capital shut for several hours.
With the main gate of the BEDC barricaded by the unionists, members of staff of the commission were prevented from gaining entrance to the premises as the protesting union members demand for the reversal of the tariff hike.
