The National Union of Electricity Employees has received a request from the federal government not to walk off the job in protest of the most recent increase in electricity rates.
This is due to the union’s insistence that if the government did not reverse its decision to remove the tariff subsidy that Band A customers must pay, they would withdraw their services.In an interview with our correspondent on Sunday, the union’s national president, Adebiyi Adeyeye, stated that the organization stood by its caution to the federal government.
On April 3, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission increased the electricity rate for users who receive 20 hours of power per day.Customers in this category were reportedly classified as belonging to Band A, and as a result of the increase, their tariff increased from N66KWh to N225 per kilowatt-hour.”If the government fails to address the crippling cost of electricity, NUEE will not hesitate to take strong action, including the swift withdrawal of our members expected to be used by DisCos to impose the tariff hike on the good people, to protect the livelihood of our members,” the union had warned in its earlier response, urging the government to reverse the tariff hike.According to our correspondent Adeyeye, the existing infrastructure does not allow for the supply of electricity for 20 hours.
We simply want the public to understand that giving away what you do not have is not feasible or possible. You know it is risky when you ask our people to go out and gather such money when we do not have the energy to give it to them. Because our industry is so important to the country, we typically do not tell the public what to do,” he said.
He emphasized that the NUEE is advising the government to take the necessary action “before we will withdraw our services,” even though the union has not yet issued a strike ultimatum.”We are asking our members to go out to the public and collect 20-hour tariff from people who are not even experiencing a four-hour supply of electricity,” he clarified.
There will undoubtedly be conflicts between those customers and our employees.Even with the current circumstances, we have a lot of attacks on our members documented. Furthermore, these guys are helpless to defend themselves. Where there is no supply, they have goals to meet.
Even though the DisCos are aware that the promises they are making to Nigerians are unrealistic, they are still threatening our members.He revealed that the union needs to protect its members from ongoing attacks, claiming that the hike would make them worse.
We made it clear to our members that they could not approach unmetered customers and demand that kind of tariff. Over 70% of these Band A customers do not have meters. The government is merely making empty promises.
Since we are the ones employed there, we are aware that we lack the transformers necessary to distribute such a load. Electricity for 20 hours cannot be obtained for anyone besides those on qualified lines. Prior to the tariff hike, we were not carried,” the union president emphasized.
Adeyeye stated, “On the issue of strike, it is not what we normally do directly,” adding that the union would not tolerate any threats from anyone. We remain under our earlier threat of terminating our services should the government fail to take appropriate action. They still have time to take the appropriate action. We have a very hard time getting such money.
We lack the necessary equipment to provide people with electricity for even ten hours.We maintain our position, and they are unable to entice individuals from any location to perform this task. We Nigerians will take care of this ourselves, and heaven will not collapse.
We will remove our members if they do not take the necessary action, and we will not take threats from anyone. We are all owners of Nigeria.
Adebayo Adelabu, the minister of power, has urged the union to keep its members in the union in the interim.In an interview, Adelabu—through his media assistant, Bolaji Tunji—stated that everyone will be satisfied in the end because the government is making every effort to increase supply in Nigeria.
“All we are asking for is for the labor union to look into what caused this. It has nothing to do with the strike. In order for us to all cooperate, understanding is essential. The constant blackouts are not to anyone’s satisfaction.
These actions are being taken to address the issues facing the electricity industry. I implore the labor union to realize that doing this will stimulate the economy and lead to job creation.”I would like to request patience from the union. It is for the country’s benefit,” he said.
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