Tariff Hike: FG Begs Workers as Electricity Union Insists on Strike

The Federal Government has appealed to members of the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE not to down tools over the recent electricity tariff hike.

This is as the union insisted that they would withdraw their services should the government fail to rescind its decision on the removal of subsidy on the tariff payable by Band A customers.

The National President of the union, Adebiyi Adeyeye, in an interview with our correspondent on Sunday said the union stood by its warning to the Federal Government.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission had on April 3 raised the electricity tariff for customers enjoying 20 hours of power supply daily.

Customers in this category were said to be under the Band A classification and the increase raised their tariff to N225 per kilowatt-hour, from N66KWh.

In its earlier reaction, the union had warned the government to reverse the tariff hike saying, “If the government fails to address the crippling cost of electricity, NUEE will not hesitate to take strong action, including the swift withdrawal members expected to be used by DisCos to impose the tariff hike on the good people, to protect the livelihood of our members.”

Speaking with journalists, Adeyeye the supply of 20 hours of electricity is not feasible with the current infrastructure.

While saying that the union has yet to give any ultimatum on strike, he stressed the NUEE is advising the government to do the needful “before we will withdraw our services”.

He disclosed that the union must save its members from daily attacks, saying the hike would aggravate the attacks.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has urged the union not to withdraw its members.

In an interview, Adelabu, who spoke through his media aide, Bolaji Tunji, said the government was doing everything to improve supply in Nigeria and everybody will be happy at the end of the day