The organised labour in Bayelsa State has rejected the Federal Government’s increase in electricity tariffs amidst Nigerians’ current suffering, stating that such a tariff hike is unacceptable in the state.
Speaking during the joint protest and picketing of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) office in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Monday, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) urged the authorities to reverse the tariff hike immediately.
The State NLC Chairman, Comrade Simon Barnabas, also decried the situation where, despite the tariff hike, epileptic power supply remains the order of the day in the state.
“Our action today is a way to inform the government that the tariff hike is unacceptable to us. Of course, our national centers of NLC and TUC gave the directive that we should have a joint action here in Bayelsa State to express our unacceptability of this policy.
“We are calling on the authorities to reverse the tariff hike immediately and, of course, to inform our people that labor leadership is concerned about their well-being and welfare.
“We are hoping that there will be a change of mind on the part of the government after this action. But where there is none, we have no option but to apply confrontation. The issue of epileptic power supply must be addressed, and Nigerians should have constant power supply,” he said.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Bayelsa State, Comrade Julius Laye, said that introducing another taxation is not the way to go for Nigerians who are already suffering.
He wondered why the government is trying to impose two taxes, the electricity tariff hike and cybersecurity tax, despite the suffering in the country, urging the government to empathize with the feelings of Nigerians at the moment and allow the masses to breathe.
“We are very hopeful that we have a government that is sensitive and will yield to our demands and understand the feelings of Nigerians. Imposing another tax is not the best way to go for Nigerians who are already suffering.
“Mr. President must understand the feelings of Nigerians and allow them to breathe, by ensuring that these taxes do not come into existence. If you take the workers who are earning N30,000 as the minimum wage and increase the electricity tariff, what about transportation to work? What about people who are not working for the government?
“Nigerians should have constant electricity, but the reverse is the case. We are buying fuel, we are buying diesel. How will the people have money to pay for all these bills and also take care of the hiked tariffs? Please, let Nigerians breathe,” he said.