Senate Chief Whip Ali Ndume has urged the federal government to reconsider its position on raising the electricity tariff, saying Nigerians have yet to recover from the removal of the fuel subsidy.
Mr Ndume said Nigerians were facing many challenges, including unprecedented inflation, insecurity, and hardships. In a statement in Abuja on Saturday, he described the timing of the electricity increase as unfavourable.
“To put this fresh responsibility on them is very unfair. Nigerians have yet to recover from the fuel subsidy removal from last year,” said Mr Ndume.
The lawmaker’s submission comes days after the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) approved a tariff increment for Band A consumers, allowing electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) to raise electricity prices from N68 to N225 per kilowatt-hour from April 1, 2024.
Mr Ndume urged the federal government to focus on providing stable electricity, reducing inflation, stabilising the naira, reducing food prices, and providing other basic amenities to Nigerians before the increase in tariffs.
“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 lawmaker said.
He expressed concern that the decision to increase the electricity tariff was taken without due consultation with the National Assembly and the people’s representatives.
“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, and 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, and many state governments have yet to 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,” he said.
