By Sunday Etuka, Abuja
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have begun shutdown of Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) across the country following the recent electricity tariff adjustments made by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) for customers under band A categorisation.
NERC had in April, increased electricity tariffs for customers under Band A categorisation from N68 per kilowatt hour (kWh) to N225kwh nationwide.
Under the revised tariff Order issued by the Commission, DisCos are under an obligation to provide customers classified under Band A service category a minimum average supply of 20hrs/day measured over a period of one week.
Meanwhile, all other customers under Bands B to E service category and representing 85% of the customers’ population were not affected by the review of the end-user tariffs.
In a swift reaction on May 3, 2024, the Unions rejected the increment, saying that the tariff hike did not only defies the established procedure mandated by law but also tramples upon the rights of Nigerian citizens.
They therefore , demanded “an immediate reversal of the hike in electricity tariff to N65/kwh.
“Immediate cessation of the discriminatory practice of segregating electricity consumers into arbitrary bands. And restoration of the supremacy of the statutes governing the conduct of operators within the electricity industry”.
They gave NERC until Sunday, the 12th day of May, 2024, (yesterday) to comply, failure of which they said, would result in mobilising members to occupy all NERC’s offices and those of the DisCos Nationwide.
Checks in the morning by TheFact Daily around Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja showed a high level of compliance, as NERC, TCN and AEDC’s Head Offices were all shutdown, and activities paralysed.
The union members moved in a convoy from office to office to enforce compliance.
High level of compliance was also recorded across other power companies in the country.
