The Nigeria Labour Congress has warned Goodluck Jonathan against the implementation of what it called “the ill-advised policy to increase electricity tariffs”, saying that any attempt to do so would only add to the burden of the citizens.
The NLC, in a statement released on Thursday and signed by John Odah, its General Secretary, said, “Mr President should know that the problem in the power sector is not that of low or poor tariffs but most visibly that of corruption and the overwhelming influence of a cabal of generator importers who are determined to frustrate any genuine attempt to correct the situation.” He, therefore, urged Mr Jonathan to restrain himself from embarking on any policy that will derail him from achieving his plans for the sector.
“The quickest way to distraction is this policy of increase in electricity tariffs,” the union said.
The Labour organisation also called on Nigerians to “oppose and protest any move to implement the policy in its entirety because it will worsen the situation of the country’s manufacturing sector, as well as further impoverish Nigerians and increase the country’s labour and employment crisis.”
The statement added: “While we have up to now restrained ourselves from responding to plans and insinuations by government to, through the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), increase electricity tariffs in the country, the revelation on Tuesday, May 25, 2010, by the Minister of State for Power, Nuhu Wya, of the Presidential directive to raise electricity tariffs in order to make the sector more competitive and attractive to both local and foreign investors, is not only insensitive but absolutely unacceptable.”
The NLC said it was convinced that the correct and logical step is to first of all improve on the country’s power generation and distribution capacity before considering the question of increase in tariffs.
“The increment, if allowed to be implemented, is certainly a death sentence to the very few industries still operating in the country, most fundamentally, our fragile but active small and medium business enterprises which today form the backbone of our economy,” the group said