Senator Ali Ndume, Chief Whip of the Senate, has voiced his opposition to the recent surge in electricity tariffs, describing its timing as inappropriate.
Ndume who is representing Borno South in the upper legislative chamber, said that Nigerians are still grappling with the aftermath of the fuel subsidy removal.
The Federal Government, sanctioned through the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), has greenlit a staggering 300 per cent tariff rise for Band A customers.
This decision permits power distribution companies to elevate electricity prices for urban residents from N66 to N225 per kilowatt/hour starting April 1, 2024. Ndume, in a statement, criticized the move, urging the Federal Government to reconsider its stance for the welfare of Nigerians.
He emphasized the myriad challenges facing citizens, including soaring inflation, dwindling purchasing power, insecurity, and other hardships.
The former Senate leader stressed the need for the government to prioritize delivering reliable electricity, curbing inflation, stabilizing the currency, reducing food costs, and furnishing essential amenities before implementing tariff hikes.
Ndume also questioned the lack of consultation with the National Assembly, the people’s representatives, before such a crucial decision was made. He highlighted constituents’ appeals to lawmakers for intervention to reverse the exorbitant increase.
Notably, various stakeholders such as labour unions, ethnic, and religious leaders have also rejected the arbitrary hike, warning of its potential dire consequences.
Ndume said: “The news of the (electricity tariff) increment came to me and many of my colleagues as a shock. It also came at a time when the National Assembly is on a break. Personally, I think the timing of this hike is very wrong. Nigerians are grappling with many challenges.
“To put this fresh responsibility on them is very unfair. Nigerians are yet to recover from the fuel subsidy removal of last year. Many Nigerians are still grappling with the ripple effects that the removal had on them. To now come up with this is wrong.
“I believe that the timing is wrong. There ought to have been some consultations, especially with the National Assembly as representatives of the people. We were not consulted. We saw the news like every other Nigerian.
“The inflation is still very high. The prices of food commodities, drugs, transportation, school fees, and other daily expenditures are still on the high side. To now add this new burden is unfair.
“The minimum wage has not been increased. Many state governments are yet to even pay the current minimum wage of N30,000. How do we expect the people to survive? We’ve to be very realistic and feel the pulse of the people we represent as a government.
“For me, I think the Federal Government should first of all provide stable electricity, reduce the inflation, stabilise the naira, and prices of food commodities. Then, the purchasing power of Nigerians must significantly improve before we can place a fresh responsibility on them as a government.
“The federal government needs to give the National Assembly the opportunity to also step in and consult because we represent the people. We feel their pulse, and we know what they’re going through right now.”
