Mohammed Shosanya
The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE),says it cannot guarantee the safety of its members in the employ of electricity distribution companies on account of the recent increase in electricity tariff in the country.
Specifically,the union lamented that its member are at risk of being attacked by people in the community when they visit for disconnections of electricity.
Dominic Igwebike,Acting General Secretary,who conveyed this in a statement,said the recent hike in electricity tariff from N68 /kwh to N225 /kwh is absurd in a country where the majority of the masses are grappling with basic survival and an electricity access rate of about 55%.
He faulted the position of Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commissionthat the hike is attributed to only Band A consumers who make up only 15% of electricity consumers and utilize 40% of the nation’s electricity consumption.
It begs to understand the sensibility of the person(s) that uttered such a statement purporting that it would not affect the general public,he said.
He added:”They need to answer these questions: Who are the Band A consumers? What do they do? Who are the customers of the Band A consumers? Who bears the brunt of the electricity hike?
“The general public is the one that will be most affected by this. They are the customers and end- users of the Band A products and services. The additional costs will be transferred to the common man, so they are indirectly being exploited, notwithstanding their dwindling purchasing power and increasing impoverishment”.
He reasoned that,the hike in the electricity tariff is grossly detrimental to the economic diversification, growth, and well-being of Nigerians,adding that,”a country that genuinely has the interest of its people at heart and wants to grow will ensure that the real sector is given the most support it can get not putting a nail in its coffin”.
He disclosed the Minister of Power and NERC did not consult with the stakeholders in the sector before the increase.
He added:”The Minister of Power has relegated himself as the spokesperson for the DISCOs where he is justifying Cost Reflective Tariffs. What of Service Reflective Tariffs as it relates to consumers? We as a stakeholder don’t know the Energy policy of this present administration.
“As a critical stakeholder in the Power Sector who is concerned with Nigerians getting constant and affordable power supply, we state categorically that the hike in the electricity tariff is not beneficial to Nigerians and should be withdrawn”.
