Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, has described the power sector’s banding system as another form of fraud.
Comrade Ajaero stated this against the proposed plan to increase electricity tariffs announced by the Federal Ministry of Power.
Ajaero, who was in Yola, Adamawa state capital for the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of NLC, stated this while speaking to journalists shortly before the meeting.
According to him, ” this banding ABCD the electricity providers are using is another form of fraud, it’s is 419, because the services is poor weather you in band A or D, they are just using it the defraud Nigerians and we will oppose any attempt to increase electricity tariffs.
“The banding system by the electricity service provider is not working even when they have almost migrated every customer to band A, paying higher tariffs “
The charges have increased, but the services still remain the same “In fact, in some places, they don’t get supply of electric for days, no meters.”
Ajaero, who frowned at the federal Ministry of Power announcing plans to review tariff, noted that the Federal Government has no power again to increase electricity tariffs since it has deregulated the sector.
“Before any increase is made, it has to be through Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission who would have a wider consultation with relevant bodies like consumer protection agency and the labour movement.
“We as Labour movement will opposed any attempt to increase electricity tariffs in Nigeria, the pains we are going through is better imagined than explain but we are our best to help the common man.
“Let me also tell Nigerians that the planned increase of telecommunications tariffs by 100% have been shoveled, the charges on your mobile phone calls is now back as it were, we had a long meeting with the sectors service providers recently and they saw reasons with us.
“No matter what you get as salary, can never be enough but we have improved it, no worker in public sector goes home with less than N70,000 per month.
“Because we know that not everybody is in the pay role of government, we encourage federal government to embrace on Federal government cash transfer to less privilege Nigerians and we are monitoring it.
“As Labour leaders, we will continue to protect the right of every Nigerian though it is very difficult, you get accused of compromising; sometimes the other side accuses us of too opposing but we will not stop,” he said.