The Presidents of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), Joe Ajaero and Festus Osifo, have urged the Federal Government to review the electricity privatization exercise and halt the recent tariff hike.
During the May Day celebration in Abuja, the labour leaders presented an 18-item demand, calling for a reversal of the electricity privatization exercise and the implementation of a service reflective tariff.
They also demanded the immediate nationwide rollout of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses and a one-year moratorium on all forms of taxes, levies, and dues collectible from the informal economy by State and local governments.
The call for action comes after the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) raised the electricity tariff for customers enjoying 20 hours of power supply daily under the Band A classification. The tariff hike, which saw customers’ rates increase from N66 to N225 per kilowatt-hour, has been met with heavy criticism from many Nigerians, considering the current economic hardship.