OAU Alumni Label Electricity Tariff Increase Burden On Nigerian People, Calls For Its Suspension

The Great Ife Alumni Association, Osogbo branch has called on the federal government to suspend the increase in electricity tariff, describing it as an additional burden on the masses.

The is contained in a communique issues at the end of its meeting held on Tuesday 7th May 2024, and made available to journalists in Osogbo, Osun State capital, on Monday.

In the communique jointly drafted by Revd. ‘Lowo Adebiyi- Chairman, Mr. Oluwamayowa Fagbohungbe- Secretary, Barr. Wuraola Ogunkola- Member and made available to journalists by the chairman, Yinka Odewale urged the federal government to revert to status quo in the interest of the people.

“Distinguished members of Great Ife(Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife) Alumni Association, Osogbo Branch at its meeting of Tuesday 7th May 2024 deliberated on the increase in electricity tariff by the Federal Government through the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), its accompanied hardships on the people, coupled with the hardship faced by the electricity consumers in the reconfiguration/upgrading of some selected meter cards, and resolved as follows;

“That the Federal Government (FG) should suspend the electricity tariff increase forthwith and revert to status quo in the interest of the people.

“That FG after the suspension, organize public hearings in all the Six Geopolitical Zones of the Country where the planned electricity tariff increase will be exhaustively discussed and objectively assessed.

“The Meeting wondered why FG is still calling the shots in the nation’s electricity companies which have undergone privatization, calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to right the wrongs in this important sector.

“Members were bewildered that despite the fact that the then Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) supplied metres that are still upgraded to inflict untold hardship on the people, querying the rationale for the reconfiguration/upgrading to take up to 3 or 4 months, before the process is completeed, while energy consumers are denied the opportunity of buying energy during that long period of time essence of such upgrade.

“The Meeting equally wondered why our past is usually better than our present in Nigeria, with particularly reference to the Federal Ministry of Power as the last Hon. Minister of Power whose tenure is still a reference point till today is Prof. Bartholomew Nnaji, the Chairman CEO of the Geometric Power Limited, pleading with President Tinubu to appoint a professional with requisite technical competence and capacity as the Hon. Minister of Power.

“That President Tinubu should declare a state of emergency in the electricity sector with a view to achieving a total overhaul and clean up so as to purgel the sector of corruption”.