The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has asked the government to shelve plans aimed at increasing electricity tariffs in the country.
In a statement by its president, Comrade Joe Ajaero, the NLC said the plan to increase electricity tariff by 40% come July 1st, is both insensitive and callous and reflects an organised indifference to the well-being of consumers, especially, the poor ones.
The statement which was sighted by the News Chronicle partly read, “We believe not even these figures are a justification for this reckless proposed tariff increase.
“The issue of capacity to pay and quality of service delivery are not only germane but superior to any rationalisation by market logic.
“The service providers in spite of sundry support have not been able to meet the threshold of 5000 megawatts.
According to the NLC, the market economies which the Market Fundamentalists seek to emulate, have in place socio-economic safeguards which we do not have and in light of this, the proposed tariff hike should be shelved for the collective safety of Nigerians.
