Electricity Tariff Increase, Act Of Insensitivity To Plight Of Nigerians – Stakeholders

Stakeholders have described the approval granted DisCos by the federal government to hike electricity tariff, as an act of insensitivity to the plight of Nigerians.

They contended that the increase will further worsen the hardship currently being by Nigerians.

Recall that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), recently approved the hike in tariff of electricity to certain category of consumers.

Under the new dispensation, consumers on band ‘A’ category with 20-hours and above electricity supply had their tariff increased from #66 per kilowatt to #225, an increase of over 200 per cent.

Stakeholders contend that this move will add to inflation rate and lead to hike in the prices of manufactured commodities. According to them, Nigerians are battling with hardship caused by removal of fuel subsidy which has caused hike in price of goods and services.

The stakeholders maintained that the so called palliatives introduced to alleviate removal of fuel subsidy, has not served its purpose because only a few members of the public are benefiting from it.

An economic analyst, Dr. Tunde Olamiju, while speaking with our correspondent in Osogbo, Osun State, noted that the tariff hike will mostly affect manufacturing industries whose locations are granted concession of having electricity supply for 20hrs per day.

According to him, the management of the industries affected will have no option than to build the hike in electricity tariff into the landing cost of commodities.Olamijulo further added that some businesses may fold up under the new dispensation, due to lack of capacity to operate effectively.

However, the plea of a cooking utensils trader, Mrs Nike Quadri to the federal government is to allow the masses to breath. While speaking in Osogbo, she lamented that Nigerians are currently groaning from astronomical sudden hike in prices of commodities including food stuff.

She contended that the hike in the cost of gas, kerosene, petrol and other petroleum products that are essential for survival, has made life unbearable for an average Nigerian.

Mrs Quadri pleaded with the federal government to reverse the approval granted the discos, and do the needful to ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerians.

Meanwhile, a student simply called Ololade, has called for mass protest by Nigerians to press home their demand for reversal of the hike.

He attributed high level of insecurity in the land to inability of Nigerians, particularly the youths to survive legitimately, adding that increase in suicide mission cannot be separated from frustration occasioned by economic downturns.