Telecom tariff hike shoveled, call charges now back as it was — Ajaero

Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, has revealed that the planned increase in telecommunications tariffs has been halted.

Ajaero, who was in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, for the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the NLC, made this known while speaking to journalists shortly before the meeting.

According to him, the NLC held a meeting with telecommunications service providers in the country, where issues relating to the planned tariffs were discussed.

He added that the meeting was positive and that plans to increase telecommunications tariffs by 100% have now been shelved.

He said, “Let me also tell Nigerians that the planned increase of telecommunications tariffs by 100% have been shoveled, the charges on your mobile phone calls is now back as it were, we had a long meeting with the sectors service providers recently and they saw reasons with us.”

The labour leader also condemned the power sector banding system, describing it as a fraud. He stated this while speaking against the proposed plan to increase electricity tariffs announced by the Federal Ministry of Power.

He said, “This banding ABCD the electricity providers are using is another form of fraud, it’s 419, because the services are poor whether you are in band A or D, they are just using it the defraud Nigerians and we will oppose any attempt to increase electricity tariffs.

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“The banding system by the electricity service provider is not working even when they have almost migrated every customer to band A, paying higher tariffs.“

Ajaero, who frowned at the Federal Ministry of Power for announcing plans to review tariffs, argued that the Federal Government no longer has the power to increase electricity tariffs since it has deregulated the sector.

“Before any increase is made, it has to be through the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, which would have a wider consultation with relevant bodies like the consumer protection agency and the labour movement.

“We, as the labour movement, will oppose any attempt to increase electricity tariffs in Nigeria. The pains we are going through are better imagined than explained, but we are doing our best to help the common man.”

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