The National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, have faulted and expressed mixed feelings over the planned hike in electricity tariffs as made public by the Minister of Power, Bayo Adelabu.
CANDID REPORTERS recalls that the honourable Minister of Power in recent statement on the electricity tariff review has made NUEE raised eyebrows with many questioning if the Minister is taking over the work of National Electricity Regulatory Commission(NERC) which is statutorily saddled with the responsibility of Regulation.
The acting General Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Comrade Dominic Igwebike in a statement made public to newsmen expressed the Union’s dissatisfaction over the Minister’s assertion.
NUEE said as a “critical stakeholder in the Power Industry they cannot sit on the fence without stating their stance and proffering the best solution to this issue”.
“The justification given by NERC for the electricity hike in 2024 is that 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, consequently, it would not affect the general public”. NUEE said.
In the press statement titled “A Misplaced Priority And Call For Concern” NUEE further expressed reasons why the union faulted the Minister’s move.
Read the statement below:
“We asked some salient questions in our publication of April 14th 2024: 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 exploited notwithstanding their dwindling purchasing power and increasing impoverishment.
“Rather than prioritizing a tariff review, shouldn’t the Minister focus on improving the overall efficiency and reliability of the power sector?
“The sector’s financial woes, including a shortfall of N1.6 trillion in wholesale tariffs, are undeniable.
“However, passing on the costs to already burdened consumers may not be the most effective solution. It’s appalling that the Minister appears more interested in increasing the poverty level rather than alleviating the suffering of the masses because this move by the Minister is geared towards generalizing the electricity tariff at an astronomical amount.
“Nigerians deserve a reliable, efficient and affordable electricity supply system that supports economic growth, improves quality of life, and enhances overall well-being. Instead of a tariff increase, the Minister should prioritize measures to increase power generation, improve transmission infrastructure, and ensure affordable tariffs for consumers, after all.
“The power sector has been privatized for over 12 years and the government has not deemed it fit to review the privatization of the electricity sector which has failed. The contemplated increase in electricity tariff should be commensurate with the services rendered. Nigerians should not be paying for darkness.
“The Honourable Minister of Power must reconsider his priorities and work towards finding solutions that benefit all Nigerians, rather than placing an undue burden on them”.
Dominic Igwebike
Ag. General Secretary
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