Electricity Tariff Hike: Nigerian Govt Discloses Next Step After NLC Protest

The federal government has disclosed its next step following the National Labour Congress (NLC) protest against the hike in electricity tariff.

Naija News reports that, on Monday, the organised labour disrupted activities in the power sector, demanding the reversal of the tariff.

The Congress picketed offices of all eleven Electricity Distribution Companies and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

In Abuja, the protest was led by the NLC president, Joe Ajaero, to the Ministry of Power and the NERC headquarters.

Offices of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company were also shut down as workers were prevented from resumption.

Similarly, they picketed the offices of the eleven discos in Kwara, Lagos, Kaduna, Plateau, Enugu, Sokoto and other parts of the country.

Reacting to the protest, the Nigerian Government said that it is ready to negotiate with organized labour.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Power, Florence Eke told Daily Post that the Federal Government, through the Permanent Secretary, Mamman Mahmuda, had convened a consultative meeting for next week with the organized labour and stakeholders to address the matter.

She said, “The permanent secretary assured me that the Ministry is also a worker.

“The Ministry has asserted that its responsibility is to make policy while agencies, in this case, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, and other agencies implement it.

“The Ministry will invite all stakeholders for a proper consultation by next week.”