You Hike Electricity Tariff When Nigerians Are Yet To Recover From Petrol Subsidy Removal – Ndume Blasts FG

The top whip of the Senate, Ali Ndume, has opposed the most recent increase in the cost of electricity.

The Nigerian Energy Regulatory Commission (NERC) authorized a rise in power rates for consumers classified as B and A on Wednesday.

Customers who receive 20 hours of power each day would pay N225 per kilowatt (kW) beginning on April 3, according to the commission.

The current rate is around three times higher than the new one.

There has been a public uproar about the new pricing since the announcement.

Nigerians have not yet recovered from the federal government’s elimination of the gasoline subsidy, according to a remark made on Saturday by senator Ndume, who represents Borno South.

“The news of the increment came to me and many of my colleagues as a shock. It also came at a time when the National Assembly was on a break,” the statement reads.

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“Personally, I think the timing of this hike is very wrong. Nigerians are grappling with many challenges.

“To put this fresh responsibility on them is very unfair. Nigerians are yet to recover from the fuel subsidy removal of last year.

“Many Nigerians are still grappling with the ripple effects the removal had on them. To now come up with this is wrong.

“I believe that the timing is wrong. There ought to have been some consultations, especially with the national assembly as representatives of the people. We were not consulted. We saw the news like every other Nigerian.

“The inflation is still very high. The prices of food commodities, drugs, transportation, school fees, and other daily expenditures are still on the high side.

“The minimum wage has not been increased. Many state governments are yet to even pay the current minimum wage of N30,000.

“How do we expect the people to survive? We’ve to be very realistic and feel the pulse of the people we represent as a government.” [CONTINUE READING HERE]