The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called for the shelving of the proposed plan to increase electricity tariff by July 1.

 

The President of the Labour union, Joe Ajaero, made the call in a statement titled “Shelve this tariff hike”released in Abuja on Thursday, June 22.

 

According to Ajaero, the plan to increase electricity tariff by 40 per cent by July 1, would further compound the current hardship of ordinary Nigerians who are still battling with the increase in cost of living due to the recent removal of Fuel subsidy.

“The massive increase is explained away as a response to the over 100 per cent increase in the pump price of premium motor spirit (PMS). Details reveal a movement in inflation from 16.9 per cent to 22.41 (threatening to needle 30), and a shift  in exchange rate from  N441 to N750. We believe not even these figures are a justification for this proposed tariff increase.

The issue of capacity to pay and quality of service delivery are not only  germane but superior to any rationalisation by market logic. Service providers in spite of sundry support have not been able to meet the threshold of 5,000 megawatts,” he said

The NLC president argued that the proposed hike would lead to a ripple effect by other product or service providers in the country.

“We would want to advise ‘Apostles of the Market’ who have called NLC all sorts of names to check their conscience. The rate at which they are going is highly combative and combustible,” Ajaero said

He called for more novel interventions to cushion the effect of these tariff hikes on majority of Nigerians.

“In light of this, our  advice is that this proposed tariff  hike should be shelved for our collective safety.”