Labour leader urges President Buhari to prevail on NERC against hike in tariff

The Nigerian Labour leader, Comrade Issa Aremu, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to prevail on the National Electricity Regulatory Agency (NERC) on the frequent arbitrary increase in the electricity tariff in the country.

According to him, the rise in the electricity tariff was not justified in view of the persistent nationwide blackout and failure of the electricity distributors to address the problem.

Comrade Aremu expressed these views while speaking with newsmen on the sidelines of the event commemorating his 60th Birthday.

The labour leader observed that government has a responsibility to regulate the price of electricity consumed in the country more so at a time the nation was still reeling from the attendant economic lock down of COVID-19 pandemic.

Comrade Aremu who was the former Vice President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) regretted that Nigerians have been abandoned to the whims and caprices of Electricity Generation Companies (GENCOs) and Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs), who issues monthly bills that are not commensurate with the supply.

The labour leader who was also a former governorship candidate of Labour Party in Kwara State, called on the Minister of Power to intervein in the nation’s electricity regulatory agency and to cease acting as mouthpiece of GENCOs and DISCOs.

Government action

He said it was not within the purview of the organised labour to regulate the affairs of stakeholders in the electricity sector, hence the need for government action.

The labour activist said that the time has come for President Muhammadu Buhari to reward performance and sanction non-performance, pointing out that such measure would compel those entrusted with positions of authority to sit up.

“If you asked me now, with all the cabinet, many of them are not on duty. Who will control National Electricity Regulatory Agency? Its Minister of Power. It is not part of labour primary agenda. Our job is you increase the price of anything, we ask for more wage. Government should be able to control the price of energy and President must talk to them. He must learn how to be presidential. He should reward performance and sanction non performance,” Aremu declared.

The NLC NEC member also implored the President to adopt bipartisan approach and inclusive governance to solve the energy and insecurity crises ravaging the country.

In commemoration of his diamond age, Aremu had earlier engaged members of the state physically challenged group in table tennis game at the state Stadium Complex, Ilorin.

Lateefah Ibrahim