May 13, 2024

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Oyo State Chapter, says it won’t backtrack on picketing the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) until the Federal Government (FG) reduces the hiked electricity tariff.

NLC alongside the Trade Union Congress (TUC) picketed offices of IBEDC and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in Ibadan on Monday.

The organised labour unions made the move as a result of the recent hike in electricity tariff by NERC.

Members of staff and customers at offices of IBEDC and NERC at the Ring Road Capital Building; Jericho, Dugbe and Oluyole were sent out with their gates locked by the unions.

Addressing newsmen, the Oyo State NLC Chairman, Mr Kayode Martins, said the unions would not backtrack on their demands until the FG reduced the electricity tariff.

According to Martins, it is unfair for the government to increase the electricity tariff when Nigerians are still battling economic hardship caused by the petrol subsidy removal.

He said Nigerians were not enjoying electricity supply, which he described as epileptic.

“Asking them to pay for what they are not enjoying is unfair.

“We are here to salvage the situation for the common man of this country.

“We are tired of all the policies being rolled out by our leaders, and people are finding it difficult to live conveniently as a result of these policies which are not properly laid out and implemented,” he said.

The Oyo State TUC Vice-Chairman, Mrs. Ranti Sowemimo, affirmed that Nigerians were paying more for electricity they do not enjoy.

Sowemimo, therefore, called on the FG to reverse the hike to reduce the suffering faced by Nigerians.

NAN reports that members of the unions displayed placards with inscriptions such as “Nigeria workers and people reject electricity tariff hike”; “Reverse the tariff hike,” among others. (NAN)