Electricity Workers Threaten ‘Strong Action’ If NERC Fails To Reverse Tariff Hike

The leadership of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has vowed to withdraw the services of its members that the Federal Government intended to use to enforce the electricity tariff hike.

The NUEE, through its National President, Engineer Adebiyi Adeyeye, kicked against the hike in traffic of electricity in a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday.

“As the representative body for employees across the Generation, Transmission, and Distribution sectors, it is our duty to address matters that directly impact our members and the public.

“Upon thorough review of the Commission’s announcement, it has become evident that the decision to escalate tariffs does not align with the interests of the masses.

“NUEE vehemently opposes any policy that burdens the Nigerian people, particularly the less privileged.

“I am deeply concerned about the burden this increase places on our members and the general masses, particularly during a challenging economic climate like this.

“While we recognize the need for investment in the power sector, I believe a focus on improved efficiency and reduced energy losses should be prioritized before further tariff adjustment,” said Adeyeye.

He continued “The proposed tariff hikes, especially for Band A consumers, will disproportionately affect everyone that rely heavily on electricity for their daily needs.

“This shift in pricing dynamics threatens to exacerbate inequalities, favouring the affluent while placing undue strain on the less fortunate segments of society.”

He continued “The rising cost of electricity directly impacts household budgets, forcing difficult choices between essential needs and paying electricity bills.

“For businesses, the increased cost of electricity translates to higher production costs. This can lead to price hikes for goods and services, further fueling inflation and hindering economic growth.”

Furthermore, the NUEE president asserted that the intended benefits of the tariff adjustment do not extend to the union’s members in the distribution sector, most especially the legacy staff.

Instead, it appears to serve the interests of a select few within the DISCOs, disregarding the plight of workers facing delayed salaries and pensions, ugly infusion of high targets for the staff and threatening them to meet up with at all costs, amongst other financial hardships.

“It is worthy of note, that the timing of this tariff increase feels particularly insensitive given the current economic situation. Many Nigerians are already facing financial hardship, and this additional expense adds unnecessary stress.

“As such, no consultation was made with any stakeholder before flagrantly violating the provisional power sector reform act, 2023 as amended.

“Moreover, much of the DISCOs electrical infrastructure dates back decades. Overtime, their transformers, distribution poles, and distribution networks deteriorate to inefficiencies and increased power losses. Thereby, reducing the wheeling capacity of the Transmission Company of Nigeria of about 12,000MW to just about 4,000MW.

“Regular maintenance is crucial for keeping the circuit in good working order. However, lack of proper funding and resources which looms in the DISCOs often lead to neglected maintenance further exacerbating the problems.

“Significant amount of power is lost during distribution due to outdated and poorly maintained power equipments and 33/11kV lines. These losses can be as high as 40% in some areas, significantly reducing the amount of electricity that reaches consumers. How will the DISCOs neglect all these, look away from the changes they should have made to the power sector after 13 years of privatization and move on to increasing electricity tariffs? It’s not out of place to have the government subsidize electricity. Whence in some advanced countries, they still do that till now.”

He added that “the recent electricity tariff hike is a blatant disregard for the economic struggles of Nigerian workers. Not even in a society where minimum wages are ambivalently doubtful.

“If the government fails to address the crippling cost of electricity, NUEE will not hesitate to take strong action, including the swift withdrawal of our members expected to be used by DISCOs to impose the tariff hike on the good people, to protect the livelihood of our members.”