‘Reverse Privatisation Of Power Sector Now’, NLC, TUC Tell FG

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have declared the privatisation policy of the power sector as a failure and called for the immediate reversal of the policy.

The organised labour made the call on Monday in Abeokuta, Ogun state capital during a protest against the electricity tariff hike and removal of subsidy from the power sector by the Federal government.

During the protest, members of NLC and TUC sealed off the business office of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) in Leme area of Abeokuta.

Speaking to journalists, the Ogun state chairman of TUC, Comrade Akeem Lasisi berated the Nigerian Electricity Regulation Commission (NERC) for increasing the electricity tariff without consulting the organised labour and other stakeholders.

Lasisi blamed the failure of the privatisation of the power sector on the “inefficiency” of the government, saying “Nigerians must not suffer for the inefficiency of our leaders”.

“We woke up to hear the announcement of the NERC that they have increased the electricity tariff to N225 per kilowatt per hour without consulting major stakeholders in the power sector.

“We reject this totally, workers are mostly hit because amidst this increase our salaries remain stagnant, amidst the increase in school fees, amidst the increase in exchange rate, amidst the increase in prices of commodities and services in the country, our own salaries remain stagnant.

“DISCOs that could not install prepaid meters to all electricity consumers do not have the gut to increase electricity tariff, that is why we are saying that the privatisation policy of all these DISCOs should be automatically reversed.

“NERC should concentrate more on regulating the DISCOs rather than increasing the electricity tariff, we are saying that Nigerians should not be shortchanged. This policy should be stopped, Nigerians should be allowed to breathe, enough is enough, we reject this totally”, Lasisi said.

Also speaking, the NLC chairman in the state, Hameed Benco called on President Bola Tinubu to compel NERC to revert the hiked electricity tariff.