- FG Reverses Electricity Tariff Hike, Signs Communique With Labour Leaders
- FG-Labour Set Up Committee To Examine All Issues Around the New Policy
- To Roll Out Palliatives For Nigerians
By Gbenga Abulude (Politics & General Desk)
In a detour, the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), have suspended the indefinite nationwide strike after reaching a consensus with the Federal Government early this morning at a meeting between the two parties.
The industrial action which was scheduled to hold today, Monday, September 28, is in connection with the wide scale condemnation and displeasure over the hikes in pump price of fuel and electricity tariff.
The Federal government representatives along with labour leaders at a meeting in Abuja which dragged until 2:53 a.m this morning, have all agreed to pause the electricity tariff for two weeks while a committee comprising labour and government representatives will advise further.
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Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, along with others who read a five-page communique signed by representatives of the Federal government and organized labour said a technical committee would be raised within the next few days to examine all contentious issues surrounding the matters in contention.
NLC President, Ayuba Wabba; and his Trade Union Congress,TUC, counterpart, Quadri Olaleye, amongst others signed on behalf of Organised Labour while the Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige; Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Silva; Minister of State for Labour, Festus Keyamo (SAN); Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed; and the Secretary to Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha and others, signed on behalf of the government.
The parties agreed to set up a technical committee comprising Ministries, Departments, Agencies, NLC and TUC. The technical committee would be expected to work for a duration of two weeks effective September 28 to among other things, ascertain the workability of the new policy.
This according to FG-Labour resolution, “in view of the need for the validation of the basis for the new cost-reflective tariff as a result of the conflicting information from the fields which appeared different from the data presented to justify the new policy by NERC; metering deployment, challenges, timeline for massive rollout.”
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Accordingly, members of the joint technical committee include the Minister of State Labour, Keyamo (SAN) as Chairman; Minister of State for Power, Godwin Jeddy-Agba; Chairman, National Electricity Regulatory Commission, James Momoh while the Special Assistant to the President on Infrastructure, Ahmad Zakari would serve as the Secretary of the committee. Others on teh committee are Onoho’Omhen Ebhohimhen, Joe Ajaero (NLC), Chris Okonkwo (TUC) and a representative of electricity distribution companies.
According to the Communique, the committee’s terms of reference entails an examination of the basis for the new policy on cost-reflective electricity tariff adjustments; an evaluation of the different DISCOs and their differentials in terms of electricity tariff vis-à-vis NERC order and mandate; an examination of lingering issues that have hindered the deployment of the 6 million meters, among others, and provide workable advise to government accordingly. The Meeting also agreed that during the two weeks suspension of strike by Labour, the DISCOs would halt the application of the cost-reflective electricity tariff adjustments.
The Communique also determined that the FG has fashioned out palliatives that would ameliorate the living conditions of Nigerian workers occasioned by the hike in cost of electricity tariffs and the deregulation of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry.
The palliatives will be in the areas of transport, power, housing, agriculture and humanitarian support. One crucial agreement reached was that the 40 per cent stake of government in the DISCO and the stake of workers should correspondingly be reflected in the composition of the DISCO’s boards.
Participants resolved also that “an all-inclusive and independent review of the power sector operations as provided in the privatization MoU to be undertaken before the end of the year 2020, with labour represented.”
It would be recalled that FG at different meetings last week with labour leaders had appealed to organized labour to shelve its planned strike at this time as the decision would hurt the economy seriously. But the meetings were deadlocked as both labour and the FG could not strike an amicable deal or reach a common ground.
The New Diplomat had reported that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, in a last minute effort to salvage the situation, had offered organised labour some palliatives in a bid to make its leaders shelve the planned mass action.
Gbajabiamila, at a negotiation meeting with labour on Sunday in Abuja announced that the palliatives would be included in the proposed 2021 budget. The House leadership at the meeting had pleaded with the leadership of the organised labour to halt its national strike planned for today.
Similarly, the 36 States governors led by Ekiti State governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi under the auspices of the Nigeria Governors Forum had held crucial meeting with the leadership of both the NLC and TUC, appealing to both bodies to suspend their scheduled nation-wide industrial action billed for today.
