After Nationwide Picketing Exercises, FG Bows To Pressure, To Convene Meeting Next Week On Electricity Tariff Hike

The federal government appears to have bowed to pressure from organized labour as it disclosed that it will go back to the drawing board with relevant stakeholders to address the issue of the electricity tariff hike.

This comes as organized labour comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and others made good the threat to picket offices of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), ministry of power and the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) in Abuja over the tariff hike.

Addressing the members of the NLC, Mamudah Mamman, permanent secretary at the Federal Ministry Of Power, said members of the national assembly have told the ministry to do a wide consultation with relevant stakeholders on the matter.

READ ALSO: BEDC Shut Down by NLC, TUC Over Tariff Hike

The permanent secretary assured that the ministry would sit down next week with the leadership of the NLC to see how the issues could be resolved.

“The national assembly had written the ministry to go and do a wide consultation with all the relevant stakeholders,” he said.

“What the ministry does is give policy directions. We realise that the policy direction given is pushing Nigerians to the corner, and we need to do things differently.

“What we need to do is for all of us to come to the table, look at it, and decide what is the best way. I don’t have the power to reverse the tariff, so we will go back to the drawing board with the regulator and NLC.

READ ALSO: We Won’t Stop Picketing IBEDC, NERC Offices Until FG Reduces Electricity Tariff-NLC, TUC

“I’m going to take your message to the relevant authority, and we will look at it and inform you.”