Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The Senate Chief Whip, and Senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume has asked the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), to rescind on its recently approved 300 percent tariff increment for Band A consumers, saying that Nigerians are yet recover from the burden of fuel subsidy removal.
Recall that the Federal Government, through the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), recently approved a 300 per cent tariff increment for Band A consumers, allowing power distribution companies to raise electricity prices for city dwellers from N68 to N225 per kilowatt-hour with effect from April 1, 2024.
In a statement, the former Senate leader who took a swipe at the action, called on the federal government to reconsider its position in the interest of Nigerians.
He added that Nigerians were already facing many challenges, including unprecedented inflation, poor purchasing power, insecurity, and other hardships.
According to Ndume, the Federal Government should focus on providing stable electricity first to Nigerians, reducing inflation, stabilising the naira, reduce food prices, and provide other basic amenities to Nigerians before increasing the tariff.
Ndume who wondered why such an important decision was taken without duly consulting the National Assembly as representatives of the people, said that lawmakers’ constituents are also reaching out to them to intervene and reverse the astronomical increase.
“The news of the increment came to me and many of my colleagues as a shock.
“It also came at a time when the National Assembly was on a break. I think the timing of this hike is very wrong. Nigerians are grappling with many challenges.
“To put this fresh responsibility on them, is very unfair. Nigerians are yet to recover from the fuel subsidy removal of last year. Many Nigerians are still grappling with the ripple effects that removal had on them.
“I believe that the timing is wrong. There ought to have been some consultations, especially with the National Assembly as representatives of the people. We were not consulted. We saw the news like every other Nigerian.
“The inflation is still very high. The prices of food commodities, drugs, transportation, school fees, and other daily expenditures are still on the high side. To now add this new burden is unfair.
“The minimum wage has not been increased. Many state governments are yet to even pay the current minimum wage of N30,000. How do we expect the people to survive? We’ve to be very realistic and feel the pulse of the people we represent as a government.
“For me, I think the Federal Government should first of all provide stable electricity, reduce the inflation, stabilise the naira, and prices of food commodities. Then, the purchasing power of Nigerians must significantly improve before we can place a fresh responsibility on them as a government.
“The federal government needs to allow the National Assembly to also step in and consult because we represent the people. We feel their pulse, and we know what they’re going through right now”, Ndume said.