Improve power supply, not tariff, Labour tells FG

The National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN) on Sunday said the federal government must ensure steady power supply before increasing electricity tariff.

Issa Aremu, secretary-general of the union and former vice-president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, said this in Kaduna on Sunday.

He declared support for the planned picketing of electricity distribution companies by the organise labour.

“We hereby declare our total support for the planned picketing by labour and civil society allies of all offices of the electricity distribution companies (DISCOS) nationwide, including Abuja, on Monday February 8, to protest the unilateral and unlawful hike of electricity tariff,” Aremu said in a statement.

“We commend NLC leadership for this mass action for improved power supply instead of incessant non-service charges.”

He advised President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently revisit the report of the 2014 national conference and implement the holistic recommendations for the power sector.

Aremu said that the federal government should not allow the increase in tariff “by the underperforming generating and distribution companies”.

“The point cannot be overstated; Power/Energy is so strategic to the industrialisation and the wellbeing of the people,” he said.

He also appealed to the federal government to urgently review the privatisation contracts with the GenCos and DisCos/

Aremu said the firms should be given a two- year time-frame “to allow them stabilise and provide efficient power supply to Nigerians before they can contemplate any tariff increase”.

The NUTGTWN general-secretary said there should be more transparency in all future sale of the nation’s assets.

“We reject the hike in electricity tariff and hereby call on our members across the country and all well meaning Nigerians to come out and join NLC protest to drive home the fact that the unilateral and unlawful hike of electricity tariff is unacceptable,” he said.

“The point cannot be overstated. Between 30 per cent and 35 per cent of textile and garment manufacturing costs are energy related expenses.

“Without electrification there can be no industrialisation.

“The promise and expectation that President Buhari will revive textile industry generally is not possible without electricity.”

According to Aremu, it is time for the Buhari administration to critically review the power sector reform with a view of increasing public sector investment.