Workers in Ogun State have protested the federal government’s removal of subsidies from the power sector and increase in electricity tariffs.
The workers under the aegis of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress on Monday, took the protest to the IBEDC office in Abeokuta.
Leading the demonstration, NLC chairman, Hameed Benco, pleaded with President Tinubu to reverse the increase, pointing out that it has become indispensable given the status of the country’s economy.
“We’re using this opportunity to express our displeasure and to tell our president Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as he has reverted that issue of cyber-security, he should also compel Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission to do the same.
“What we’re saying is to revert back to the price we were paying before, there mustn’t be any increase in the electricity tariff and that is the singular demand we are requesting,” he said.
Also speaking, TUC Chairman Akeem Lasisi bemoaned the lack of energy supply while stating that Nigerians shouldn’t bear the consequences of their leaders’ incompetence.
“This policy should be stopped, Nigerians should be allowed to breathe, we reject this totally. Nigerians should not suffer for the inefficiency of the leaders. They should concentrate on distributing electricity to the consumers.
“If the tariff of the customers on band A is increased, they would enjoy electricity for more than 20 hours per day, this is not possible in Nigeria of today.
“Electricity is not supplied to the consumers yet they are increasing the tariff, they are saying 15% of the consumers are on band A, should the remaining 75% suffer for the inefficiency of our leaders?
“This is why the national Secretariat directed us to seal up all the distributing companies in Nigeria and all the Electricity Regulation Commission in Nigeria,” he declared.