Nigerian workers, electricity companies in battle of wits

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), its counterpart, Trade Union Congress (TUC), Civil Society allies and electricity consumers in the country trooped out on Monday in a nationwide protest against the 45 per cent increase in electricity tariff.

LAGOS

Early commuters in Ikeja area of Lagos were caught in an unusual traffic gridlock from all points of entry into the commercial hub of the city as a large crowd of protesters from across the state, mostly members of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and other trade unions, came out massively to kick against the new electricity tariff.

Our Lagos team reported that the protesters, armed with lanterns and placards, first stormed the office of the Eko Electricity Distribution Company at Alausa, Ikeja but were prevented from gaining entrance into the compound.

Not discouraged, the protesters occupied the entrance of the company’s gate, demanding that their voices and messages must be heard.

One Mr. Achike Chube, one of the spokespersons for the protesters told the Daily Times that the basis for their agitation was the increase in electricity tariff by the Federal Government despite the court order issued by a court in Ikoyi-Lagos that the increase in electricity tariff should be suspended.

The protesters carried different placards with inscriptions and slogans like, ‘End darkness’, ‘Say no to crazy and outrageous bills’, ‘Hike in tariff is a capital fraud’ and ‘Residents suffers, businesses are dying, Eko Disco smiles to the bank’, among others.

Different groups representing their various communities in Lagos included the Ago United, Okota Community Movement, Ajegunle People and Community Movement, Isolo-Ishaga, Ire-Akari and Oke-Afa Communities Movement and Ajeromi-ifelodum were not left out of this protest.

To add pep to the protest, Fela’s celebrated song, ‘Suffering and Smiling’ and ‘Lead us Well’ by African China as well as other solidarity songs filled the air and charged the atmosphere.

One side of the road was totally blocked as a result of the massive crowd forcing vehicles to make use of one side of the road, resulting into a heavy gridlock.

The police were also seen stationed both within the Eko Disco compound and outside the protest ground to manage the situation so that hoodlums do not hijack the good intent of the protesters.

Addressing the workers at Ikeja Electric, the first Vice-President of NLC and President-General of the National Union of Civil Engineering, Construction, Furniture and Wood Workers (NUCECFWWU), Mr. Amaechi Asugwuni, who led the protesters, insisted that the distribution companies should not implement the new tariff regime.

Asugwuni stated that Nigerians are not ready to pay for darkness, adding that the protest would not stop until tariff is reduced.

‘’Billions of dollars had been sunk into the power sector without stability in electricity supply.
“It is only in Nigeria that people pay for darkness,” he said.

The crowd eventually earned the presence of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the company, Mr. AigbeOlotu, who urged the protesters to direct their complaints to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

At the Lagos State House of Assembly, meanwhile, a mammoth crowd had gathered as early as 7 am. One of the placard carrying groups under the aegis of Youth Alliance for better Nigeria lamented that they are made to pay huge sums of money as electricity bills monthly when they hardly ever get power supply.

Some of the placards read: ‘Outrageous bills, Oppressive Conduct of Staff’, ‘Fashola, Save Nigerians from Darkness’, ‘Enough Exploitation of Ten Streets to a Transformer’, ‘We Need Prepaid Metres’.

Other placards told quite a story, revealing that the protest is not about the tariff hike alone. ‘Frustration of government effort to provide employment by not improving the epileptic power supply’. ‘Ikeja electricity should stop substandard prepaid metres’, ‘If you cannot serve us, don’t exploit us’.

Another set of placards were quite demanding: ‘Fashola, dissolve NERC, withdraw Ikeja Electricity license and boost your party popularity’, ‘Buhari must dissolve Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Please do this for us,’ and ‘When learning stops, liberation stops. We cannot read at night. Don’t kill the youths.’

The protesters got angry after many hours of standing opposite the Assembly and no lawmaker came out to address them.

They then decided to block the road which also led to the Governor’s office, sitting on the road to disallow vehicles from plying it.

Abuja

At the Federal Capital Territory, our Abuja office reported that the NLC and the TUC led the protesters to the offices of the Abuja Electricity Development Company, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission and the National Assembly.

The Daily Times Abuja correspondents reported that protesters came out as early as 7am for the protest which started at the Labour House in the Central Business District of Abuja.

They were seen carrying placards expressing their disdain for the tariff increase with some bearing such inscriptions as ‘We won’t pay more for darkness’.

President of the NLC, Mr. Ayuba Wabba, in his address accused the Minister of Power, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, of conniving with the electricity firms to fleece Nigerians.

Describing the tariff hike as outrageous, NLC President, said it was the fifth in a row since 2012 and unacceptable Nigerians.

Reacting to the hike to our correspondents, the protesters unanimously insisted that policies of the government, which created room for Nigerians to be subjected to unjustified charges, would be resisted, warning that this is only the beginning.

Speaking in the same vein, Mr. Bobboi Kaigama, TUC president, warned that the labour movement will continue with the protest against the tariff hike until it is reversed.

In a consensus release, the labour leaders vowed to continue pressing until the tariff is reversed, expressing disappointment over the role of the Minister of Power, Babatunde Fashola in supporting the power firms in their many ways of exploitation of Nigerians.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola on Monday appealed to Nigerians and the organised labour led by the Nigeria Labour Congress and TUC to show more understanding, and accept the new electricity tariff.

Fashola said this during his second monthly sectorial meeting with power generation, distribution and transmission companies in Lagos.

He urged Nigerians to show understanding, explaining that only cost reflective tariff can develop the power sector and attract investment.

“The purpose of the meeting is to provide avenue for company executives in the power sector to discuss and address power challenges in the country.

“The entire nation is waiting for effective service delivery in power sector, the ideal behind the meeting is to visit power installation companies to fashion a way out of the mess.

“Although Nigerians are disappointed over an increase in electricity tariff however, the tariff ought to have been increased long before the new administration came on board.”

Like a Nollywood story line broken into many chapters, theDaily Times gathered at the end of the Monday protests that an ultimatum of two weeks was issued to the power companies warning of another chapter of protests if the increase is not reversed shortly.

KANO

Meanwhile, the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors, ANED, had on Sunday in Kano, appealed to organised labour to shelve the planned protest over electricity tariff increase.

A statement issued by the Executive Director, Research and Advocacy of the association, Sunday Oduntan, urged the unions to support the power sector operators to improve electricity supply in the country.

The statement said that Nigeria is witnessing an all-time high 5,075 megawatts of electricity for the first time in the history of the nation’s power sector.

“This is a demonstration that the sector has the capacity to meet the country’s power needs,” it said.