–Pickets NERC, TCN, AEDC
–We’ve heard your concerns, NERC Chairman

By Obas Esiedesa, Abuja

The organised labour, led by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), yesterday, protested the decision of the Federal Government to increase electricity tariff for over two million customers in Band A.

The protesters picketed the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, Transmission Commission of Nigeria, TCN and Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC, headquarters.

Hundreds of the members of the two labour centres had converged at the headquarters of NLC as early as 7am on Monday, and proceeded to NERC headquarters for the action with placards inscribed with different protest words.

With placards that read: “Increase regulatory oversight on DISCOs and GENCOs not tariff Increase on poor and innocent Nigerians”, “Let the poor breathe. Give us affordable and constant power”, “N228 per kilowatt is killing, reverse it now,” “Electricity tariff increase, not acceptable,” “We are not a generator republic”, the groups sang solidarity songs.

NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero who delivered the demands of workers to the Chairman of NERC, Engr Sanusi Garba, said that National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has been directed to order workers in in sector to cut off power supply to all the areas NERC and TCN offices are located across the country as part workers’ protest against the hiked tariff.

According to him, “We are very serious about our demand that NERC and TCN reverse the recent tariff hike. The tariff is killing. It is killing businesses and Nigerians. And as part of our protest, we have asked electricity workers under our centres to cut off power supply in all NERC and TCN offices across the country. Please review the current tariff, it is not workers’ friendly, it is not acceptable.”

Earlier, in a joint message, the two labour centres said: “Workers are hit hardest by the increase in electricity tariff. Unlike business-people, wage earning workers cannot adjust their income when the costs of utilities are increased. This stagnancy in wages amidst increases in electricity and refined petroleum products push workers over and beyond the limits of sanity and survival.

“Small and medium scale businesses which accommodate millions of workers in the informal economy are severely affected by increases in energy costs. Many of such businesses are forced to shut down thud ballooning Nigeria’s unemployment market. The ancillary cost in crimes and social unrest is a daily living experience on our streets.

“Organised labour in Nigeria is forced to the conclusion that the privatisation of the power sector in Nigeria is a colossal failure. Organised labour in Nigeria demands that the complete reversal of power sector privatisation and the recovery of all public electricity assets sold dirt cheap to largely inexperienced, technically deficit and financially challenged private investors.

“Nigerian workers reject the recent increase in electricity tariff in Nigeria and the associated upgrading and downgrading of customers from one band to another. It is our clear position that Nigeria after more than sixty years of independence cannot be rationing and rationalising darkness. This is unacceptable.

“We call on government to respect the terms of the September 2021 Agreement with Labour which was reinforced by a 2023 agreement that government must halt further increase in the tariff of public utilities until certain conditions are met including the review of the privatisation exercise, de-dollarisation of gas supply for electricity generation, distribution of pre-paid meters to all electricity consumers in Nigeria, increase in electricity generation and distribution in Nigeria with adequate commitment to investment in green and renewable energy sources and finally respect the rights of all electricity consumers in Nigeria?

In his response, NERC Chairman, Engr Sanusi Garba said that the Commission has taken note of all the issues raised by the Labour and assured them that their grievances would be looked into.

He commended labour for its peaceful demonstration in respect of issues affecting the power sector.

According to him, “we have taken input from your demands related to the affordability of the tariff issued by the commission. We have also listened to you and we have listened to the concerns of Nigerians.

“I want to assure you that we will make adequate representation on the policy side on the issue of affordability of tariffs. We also took note of your call for the diversification of energy sources and I would like to say that the new Zungeru 700 Megawatts power plant is already online, generating over 600MW.

“We are also making efforts to ramp up solar generation in such a manner that tariffs will come down. I also note your remarks about the banks sitting on the boards of the distribution companies, the Commission has earlier given deadlines for the banks to divest their shares and exit from the distribution companies because we want proper core investors sitting on these boards”, he stated.