The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Monday picketted the headquarters of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC ,over the hike in electricity tariff from N65/kwh from 225kwh.
At the occasion in Abuja to kickoff the nation wide picketing, the President of NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero,who lamented the hike, called on the Commission to immediately reverse the increased tariff without further delay.
Contributing,the TUC President, Comrade Festus Osifo, represented by the Deputy President of the Congress, Comrade Etim Okon, called on National Assembly to stop the move to remove labour matters from Exclusive List.
to him, the two labour organizations would continue to defend the rights of citizens against exploitation and injustice.
Responding, the Chairman of Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Mr Sanusi Garba, promised Nigerians that the commission would look into the demands of the organized labour, pointing out that it does not intend to build new power plants but improve on the existing ones.
Our correspondent gathered that the picketing took place nation wide.
For instance in Maiduguri, Borno state, members of NLC and TUC converged at YEDC office, the major DISCO office, to express their dismay over the hike in electricity tariff.
Reacting to the development, the State Secretary of (TUC), Comrade Baba Mohammed, said the organised labour in the state had fully complied with the directive of the national officers, noting that no business activities would be carried out in the company throughout the day.
He lamented that workers could no longer pay their electricity bills because of the “exponential increase”, and called on the federal government to immediately intervene.
Comrade Mohammed threatened that if NERC and DISCOs refuse to revert to the old tariff, the Labour Unions would strategise to take further action.
In Kogi State, similar development came up as the state Chairman of NLC, Comrade Gabriel Amari, said the tariff increase underscored government insensitivity to the plight of ordinary Nigerians, who had been groaning under economic challenges occasioned by policies not favourable to them.
Comrade Amari,who led members of the Organised Labour to picket AEDC State and Regional offices in the state,called on the state government to look inward towards generating power for the people.
To drive home their demands, members of the labour unions displayed placards with various inscriptions such as “We Are Nigerians And Demand Equal Treatment; “No More Band ABC…; and Labour SAY No To Exploitation,” among others.
In neighbour Kwara State, members of NLC and TUC followed suit by picketing the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, IBEDC offices in Ilorin, the Kwara State Capital, there by preventing the management and staff of the company from accessing their various offices to work.
The State NLC Chairman, Comrade Muritala Olayinka, lamented that the increase in electricity tariff had subjected poor Nigerians into more difficult times and untold hardship.
Feelers from other states of the federation indicate that similar development happened in those geo-political expressions
NLC and TUC assured that failure by NERC to reverse the hike would lead to continuous picketing in all its offices l and those of the DISCOs nationwide.
