The minority caucus of the House of Representatives has condemned the hike in electricity tariffs by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), stating that it puts the government in a bad light, News About Nigeria reports.
In a statement released in Abuja on Friday, the caucus leader, Kingsley Chinda, said that the sudden increase puts an unbearable burden on the already strained population.
He noted that the hike in the electricity tariff, which is over two hundred percent above the rate of inflation, utterly disregards the plight of ordinary citizens, who are grappling with the adverse effects of the removal of oil subsidy, galloping inflation, unemployment, and inadequate access to basic amenities.
According to him, such an act is insensitive, inhuman, and evil, and must not be tolerated.
“We note that in the immediate aftermath of the announcement of the tariff hike, NERC claimed that the hike affects only twelve percent of electricity consumers who enjoy a minimum of twenty hours of electricity a day. The truth has become so stark that this is a stark lie.
“The hike, according to data put out by DISCOS, affects all electricity consumers. This habitual resort to deceit and outright lies clearly puts the government in a bad light and erodes the trust and confidence of the populace in the government.
“The timing of this tariff hike, amidst prevailing economic challenges, is not only insensitive but also detrimental to the well-being of Nigerians. It further highlights the disconnect between policymakers and the realities faced by the masses of our people,” the statement reads in part.
Chinda further noted that in other parts of the world, governments are doing all they can to protect citizens against the adverse effects of the pandemic on economies and lamented that the reverse is the case in Nigeria.
He said that the government spends money on frivolities with no real economic impacts on households or the lives of ordinary citizens.
He, therefore, urged President Bola Tinubu to prevail on the electricity regulator, NERC, to rescind this decision and prioritise the welfare of the people.
