Tina Amanda
Electricity Workers Union has expressed delight over the suspension of the proposed raise in electricity tariff by the National Assembly, describing it as a sigh of relief to its workers.
Assistant General Secretary, Senior Association of Electricity and Allied Companies Workers South-South Zone, Comrade Innocent Lord-Douglas, who made this remark while speaking with our correspondent Tina Amanda, emphasized that its Union would have been badly assaulted and attacked by angry consumers if the tariff increment was implemented.
He noted that their concern as a labour Union was not how much profit Disco companies stand to make from the tariff increment, but the safety of lives of its members, who will be on the streets daily to mobilise revenue.
“Initially as a Union, we made a proposal and asked Discos to suspend this increase in tariff, the reason is not that we do not want them to make profit or to go against the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) guidelines, but considering the COVID 19 period we are in, it would have been a great disaster.
“The reason is that the people the consumers see out there as PHCN or NEPA as the case may be are our members who are on the streets trying to get funds. The consumers do not know the executives, Managements or owners of these companies, they do not also know where NERC and Disco companies are located, so Discos are not the staff out there on the street raising funds.
“It is no more a federal government parastatal, it is a personal business that contracts some person to work for them, but people tend to unleash mayhem on the PHCN staff they see them going about to mobilize revenue”
Comrade Lord-Douglas, however, thanked the National Assembly for the steps taken to stop the proposed tariff increment, while hoping for an alternative policy as regards the tariff.
“I want to thank the National Assembly that has stopped this increment, we express a sigh of relief because our members would be safe within these periods of time and we believe between now and the third quarter as proposed something good will happen.
“Either the economy would have been revamped which will make consumers overlook the increment in tariff or maybe the federal government will come up with a policy as regards to the tariff increment. So far it is good news that it has been suspended, for now, our members are safe until when next it will be proposed”
