The Senate Chief Whip, Senator, Ali Ndume, has expressed displeasure over the recent hike in electricity tariff, saying the timing was wrong.
News360 Info recalls that the Federal Government, through the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), on Wednesday approved a 300 per cent tariff increment for Band A consumers.
In a statement on Saturday, the Senator representing Borno South said the electricity hike is unfair to Nigerians, especially when many are grappling with many challenges.
According to Ndume, Nigerians are yet to recover from the removal of the fuel subsidy and are still facing unprecedented inflation, poor purchasing power, insecurity, and other daily expenditures.
The Senator called on the Federal Government to reconsider its position in the interest of Nigerians and focus on providing stable electricity first to Nigerians, reducing inflation, stabilising the naira, reducing food prices, and providing other basic amenities to Nigerians before increasing the tariff.
Ndume further questioned why such an important decision was taken without duly consulting the National Assembly, which represents the people.
He said: “The news of the increment came to me and many of my colleagues as a shock. It also came at a time when the National Assembly was on a break. 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 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 allow the National Assembly 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.”
