Break up the monopoly to end electricity crisis, Osaikhuiwu urges FG

service delivery and transforming the industry includes the following: Enabling through legislation an end to the monopoly enjoyed by the various power entities especially the Genco’s and Disco’s by providing for multiple providers in each operating zone; Passing felony legislation and the mandatory 20 years jail term for tampering with electricity infrastructures; Imposing stiff penalties including serious jail time, immediate firing and loss of pension’s on employees of power utilities who collude with customers to bypass meters and temper with electricity infrastructures and mandating immediate deployment of prepaid meters across the nation while prohibiting estimated billings.

“Others are approving multiple prepaid meter vendors, enabling competition by giving consumers choice of electricity provider in their respective regions, completely disposing government ownership stakes and focusing on regulating the industry to ensure improved market space and service delivery; and strengthening existing legislation that streamline the steps for revocation of licenses due to non performance across the sector.” EANWHILE, the National Union of Electricity Employees ( NUEE) has said it is ‘ still consulting’ with stakeholders on whether to embark on a strike over the recently approved electricity tariff hike.

The acting general secretary of NUEE, Dominic Igwebike, had earlier threatened that its members would begin a nationwide strike. However, Igwebike while speaking with Channels Television, said the decision to embark on a nationwide protest was yet to be firmed up.

“The decision to embark on strike was taken because our members will be attacked if they attempt to go out to cut the light. Those customers they put on Band A don’t have light, so they are saying they won’t pay. Our lives will be at risk because most of those in the category are still on estimated bills. But we are still consulting on the next step to take,” he said.

In an earlier statement, NUEE wrote to the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, stating that its members would take decisive action if nothing was done about the withdrawal of the tariff. On April 3, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission ( NERC) raised the electricity tariff for Band A customers. According to NUEE, it is not feasible to have 20 hours of electricity supply, hence, the govern

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ment should reverse the tariff increase. It added that the increased tariff would push the price of goods upwards and affect the poor.

“We just want the citizens to know that this thing is not possible, it is not feasible, you cannot give what you don’t have. When we don’t have the energy to give to the people, and you ask our people to go out and collect such money, you know it is dangerous. We often don’t disclose what to do to the public because our sector is critical to the nation,” he stated.

However, the Minister, who spoke through his media aide, Bolaji Tunji, said the government was doing everything to improve supply in Nigeria, and everybody would be happy at the end of the day.

“We want to appeal to the labour union to understand what led to this. This is not about strike. It is about understanding so that we can all work together. It is not anybody’s joy that there are blackouts all the time. These steps are being taken to solve the problems in the power sector. I beg the labour union to understand that this will galvanise the economy and create jobs. I want to appeal to the union to bear with us. It is for the good of the nation,” he stated.

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HERE are chances that the new electricity tariff hike may push organised labour’s minimum wage demand to N665,000. This is N50,000 above the wage figure earlier submitted to the office of the National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission ( NSIWC) through the national minimum wage tripartite committee secretariat.

A document sighted by The Guardian showed that the joint demand of N615,000 agreed on by the Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria ( TUC) was forwarded to the secretariat of the NSIWC on March 28, 2024. However, The Guardian gathered that the proposed demand may no longer be feasible as the new electricity tariff hike by the Federal Government may push labour to increase its demand. The document showed that labour’s demands, based on realities on certain baskets, may likely change due to the hike in the new electricity tariff.

When The Guardian reached out to a top official in the labour centre, who craved anonymity, the official confirmed that their demand may not work again.