BEVERLY HILLS, February 04, (THEWILL) – Electricity Distribution Companies (Discos) are turning to the police for protection ahead of labour’s planned nationwide disruptions of their operations from Monday, February 8, in protest against the 45 percent increase in electricity tariff, which took effect Monday, February 1.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), led by Ayuba Wabba, collaborating with the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), led by Bobboi Kagaima, and civil society groups, argues that the failure of the operators to provide prepaid meters violates Section 76 of the Power Sector Reform Act. The section requires that consumers of electricity be provided prepaid meters within 18 months after the privatisation of the power sector.
The NLC and TUC had issued a directive to their respective state councils to mobilise workers to picket the Discos if the tariff increase was not reverted. As of the time of filling in this report, both congresses were meeting to fine-tune plans for the planned action.
In Abuja, the protest, according to labour, will start at Labour House, Central Business District at 8am, and move to the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) head office in the same business district. From the NERC office, the rally will roll to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company at Zone 4, before proceeding to the National Assembly.
In a communiqué signed by Ayuba Wabba, and Peter Ezo-Oson, the general secretary, the congress described the increase as illegal, unfair, unjustifiable and an exploitation of the already exploited Nigerians.
The congress advanced the following reasons for its action: That due process in the extant law for such increment was not followed in consonance with Section 76 of the Power Sector Reform; that there has been no significant improvement in service delivery; that most consumers are not metered in line with the signed privatisation memorandum of understanding (MoU) of November 1, 2013, which stipulates that within 18 months gestation period, all consumers are to be metered.
Others are, that there is a subsisting court order dated May 28, 2015, by Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos in the case of Toluwani Yemi-Adebiyi versus NERC and others, and the increment compounds the present economic recession.
Over the years, Nigeria’s power generation has fluctuated between 4,000 and 5,000 megawatt for a population estimated at over 170 million. Majority of the electricity consumers in the country are on estimated billing, as the operators have been unable to provide prepaid meters that would ensure that customers pay for what they consumed.
Story by David Oputah
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