The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has urged the Federal Government, FG, to suspend the planned increment on electricity tariff by 40 which would take effect from July 1st.
NLC president, Comrade Joe Ajaero in a statement, on Thursday, said the planned electricity hike is both insensitive and callous and reflects an organised indifference to the well-being of consumers, especially, the poor ones.
The planned increase is explained away as a response to the over 100 per cent increase in the pump price of premium motor spirit (pms), he added.
While noting a movement in inflation from 16.9% to 22.41 and a shift in the exchange rate from N441 to N750, Ajaero said, not even these figures are enough justification for this reckless proposed tariff increase.
He said the issue of capacity to pay and quality of service delivery are not only germane but superior to any rationalisation by market logic.
He noted too that the service providers in spite of sundry support have not been able to meet the threshold of 5000 megawatts. Moreover, there have been surreptitious increases without notice in violation of statutes.
According to the labour leader, the inherent risk in the new tariff regime is that there is no control, implying that by August, consumers will pay new rates.
“The other risk is that by the time other product or service-rendering entities come up with their new prices or rates, the ordinary person would have been compacted into dust.
“We would want to advise apostles of the Market who have called NLC all sorts of names to check their conscience.
“The rate at which they are going is highly combative and combustible. With contemplation of payment of school fees in tertiary institutions and increases in privately-owned ones in addition to other costs/tariffs on the way, life in Nigeria could truly be Hobbesian.
“The market economies which the Market Fundamentalists seek to emulate, have in place socio-economic safeguards which we do not have.
“In light of this, our advice is that this proposed tariff hike should be shelved for our collective safety,” he said.
