The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has rejected plans by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to increase electricity tariffs or migrate electricity consumers from lower bands to Band A.
On April 3, 2024, the federal government approved an
increase in electricity tariffs for customers under the Band A classification,
while other bands remained unchanged.
However, on Thursday, Adebayo Adelabu, minister of power,
said the electricity consumers on Band B are not paying enough and may soon
have to pay more.
In a communique on Sunday, Joe Ajaero, president of the NLC,
said the national executive council (NEC) of the union unequivocally rejected
the migration during a meeting held in Yola, Adamawa State, on February 28.
Ajaero said the plan to migrate consumers to Band A would
extort the masses and inflict economic hardship on the working class and
Nigerians.
“Whereas inflation has soared, wages remain stagnant, and
the cost of living has become unbearable, the ruling class continues to
transfer the burden of their fiscal irresponsibility onto the already
impoverished working masses,” he said.
“The NEC-in-session warned that any attempt to announce
further electricity tariff increases would be met with mass resistance.
“The Congress resolved to immediately mobilise for a
nationwide protest should the Ministry of Power and NERC proceed with their
exploitative plan to further hike electricity tariffs under any guise.”
Ajaero also noted that NEC acknowledged the agreement
between the NLC and the federal government on February 25, through a joint
committee, reducing the initially proposed telecommunications tariff hike from
50 percent to 35 percent.
“However, the Congress remains vigilant, recognizing the
long history of infidelity. NEC categorically warns that should the
implementation of the agreement on March 1, 2025 not be agreed, the National
Administrative Council (NAC) is mandated to immediately deploy all necessary
instruments to enforce compliance in line with the February 10th, 2025 Central
Working Committee (CWC) directive,” he said.
On January 20, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)
granted approval to telecommunications companies (telcos) to implement a 50
percent tariff increase.
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