Kehinde Fajobi
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has condemned the proposed allocation of ₦8 billion to sensitise consumers on paying electricity bills, calling it a gross display of profligacy, wastefulness, and corruption.
In a statement on Monday, titled “Before the Power Sector Collapses: ₦8 Billion Budget for Electricity Bill Sensitisation is a Shameful Testament to Incompetence and Wastefulness,” NLC President Joe Ajaero criticised the Ministry of Power and the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) for failing to address the nation’s persistent power issues.
Ajaero lamented, “The National Grid has collapsed under this minister more than all previous ministers in Nigeria’s history combined.
“Asking for ₦8 billion to teach us how to pay bills to DISCOs owned by private entities is entirely questionable and speaks to the deeper worries of Nigerians as to the distinction between those in government and those who bought the electricity companies.”
The union expressed dismay that such a proposal could be prioritised amid recurring grid failures and widespread power outages.
“It is laughable to believe that what is important to Nigerians, especially as it concerns the power sector now, is to be sensitised on why they should pay more for electricity in the midst of constant grid failure and overwhelming darkness,” Ajaero added.
The NLC demanded an audit of the power sector budget and called on the Power Minister to disclose dividends received from privatised electricity companies since the sector’s privatisation over a decade ago.
Ajaero noted, “Sensitisation campaigns should not cost a fraction of this amount, especially in a country where schools are underfunded, hospitals lack basic equipment, and infrastructure is crumbling.
“This allocation is not just wasteful; it is a slap in the face of every hardworking Nigerian struggling to make ends meet.”
The NLC also accused the Ministry of Power and NERC leadership of negligence, saying their frequent appearances at the National Assembly had taken precedence over resolving the sector’s challenges.
“If the leadership of the power sector were compelled to reduce the number of times they spend at the National Assembly, perhaps they would have more time to focus on their job and reduce the embarrassing situation in the sector,” Ajaero remarked.
The union called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently address perceived incompetence and wastefulness within the Ministry of Power and NERC to prevent a total collapse of the sector.
“We urge the President of the federation to take steps to rein in the burgeoning appetites of those in the Power Ministry and NERC, to reinvigorate the sector and save it from total collapse,” Ajaero concluded.