This Will Cause Serious Pains to Nigerian, NLC Kicks Against Electricity Tariff Increase

This Will Cause Serious Pains to Nigerian, NLC Kicks Against Electricity Tariff Increase

  • The Nigeria Labour Congress has called on the federal government against the proposed tariff hike by the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC)
  • According to the deputy president of NLC, Joe Ajaero, there shouldn’t be an increase on tariff while wages of workers have remained unchanged
  • Ajaero further revealed that there is a regulatory hijack of the power sector, hence their transfer of inefficiencies on Nigerians

The deputy president of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero has queried the recent increase on electricity tariff.

The Cable reported that Ajaero, who was a guest on Kakaaki, AIT’s breakfast show on Tuesday, August 31, urged the federal government not to increase electricity tariff.

A statement by Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) saying the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) had approved an increase in electricity tariff from N42.44 to N58.94 from September 1 had recently made headlines.

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NLC urged FG not to increase electricity tariff, speak on pains of Nigerian workers
NLC gives reason why federal government should not consider electricity tariff increase. Photo credit: Nigeria Labour Congress HQ
Source: Facebook

Legit.ng gathered that shortly after the statement was made public, Adeoye Fadeyibi, managing director of Eko DisCo, denied that the statement came from the company and asked the public to disregard the report.

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Ajaero comenting further, said he wondered why NERC was considering another tariff increase when the wages of workers have remained unchanged, The Nation report indicates.

Ajaero, who is also the general secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), revealed further that there was a regulatory hijack of the power sector by electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos), which he said were bent on transferring their “inefficiencies” on poor Nigerians.

He added that the seven-man technical committee on electricity tariff submitted its report on February 22, 2021 at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja to Labour and Employment Minister Chris Ngige.

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The minister had said at a bipartite meeting between the government and organised labour that the government would consider the reports on electricity tariff and petrol increases.

He said:

“Late last year when this issue came up, the NLC stepped in and then they set up a seven-man committee headed by minister of state for labour and employment, Festus Keyamo (SAN). I happen to be a member of the committee.
“We had certain assumptions – including the issue of who the members of NERC are – because it was clear who sits at NERC at the level of consultation.
“The law is clear that you have to equally consult with stakeholders before any increase (in electricity tariff) and those agreements were reached that the price of gas must be situated; that if we situate the price of gas very well, even what we are paying will crash."

Jubilation As Gov Ugwuanyi Approves 60 Percent CONHESS for Health Workers Amid Economic Hardship

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Legit.ng had earlier reported that, Health professionals and workers in Enugu state under the auspices of Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), yesterday went wild with jubilation as Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi announced an upward increase of their Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) from 41 per cent to 60 per cent, effective from September 2021, in spite of the nation’s economic, security and public health challenges.

Gov Ugwuanyi made the announcement when he addressed a delegation from JOHESU comprising members of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) and Medical and Health Workers Sector Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), at the Government House, Enugu.

Members of JOHESU were at the Government House, Enugu, on a Thank-you visit to Gov Ugwuanyi for his benevolence and unflinching commitment to the welfare of health workers in the state.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Esther Odili avatar

Esther Odili (Politics and Current Affairs Editor) Esther Odili is a journalist and a Politics/Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng with 6+ years of experience. She Holds OND and HND in Mass Communication from the Nigerian Institue of Journalism (NIJ), where she was recognized as the best student in print journalism in 2018. Before joining Legit.ng, Esther has worked with other reputable media houses, such as the New Telegraph newspaper and Galaxy Television. In 2024, Esther obtained a certificate in advanced digital reporting from the Google News Initiative. Email: esther.odili@corp.legit.ng.