We oppose plans to increase electricity tariff in Nigeria

We, members of the Alliance of Nigerian Students Against Neo-liberal Attacks (ANSA), condemn in strongest terms the plan of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the body responsible for regulating the activities of electricity distribution companies and generating companies (DISCOs and GENCOs) to increase electricity tariffs across the country. We wish to oppose this plan, and condemn it as cruel and inconsiderate of the daily economic hardships faced by Nigerians.

Any increase in electricity tariff will aggravate the conditions of masses in every sector of the Nigerian economy. We are in fact more concerned with the fall back effect of this planned increase on teachers, students and parents, and the education sector at large. All prices will immediately skyrocket, without corresponding increase in the earnings of Nigerians. It is instructive to note that several State governments still owe workers backlog salaries, and it is unimaginable the hardship these workers will go through with another rise in inflation. For Nigerian students, it is important to cry out aloud before the excruciating effects of this policy of government start setting in. Education administrators, vice-chancellors, rectors and provosts of schools would soon hinge policy of fee increment on the rise in electricity tariff or municipal costs.

The Nigerian government merely gave in to the blackmails and pressure of the big-business proprietors of DISCOs and GENCOs. These profit-motivated bosses have complained about “losses” and made frantic calls for “a cost-reflective tariff” (Punch Newspaper report, Tuesday, October 20, 2015). Since the privatisation of the power sector in 2014, there have been relatively little or no improvements in the distribution of electricity in the country. The request for more gains over nothing is therefore outrageous and unacceptable. This year alone, several protests of residents in Lagos, Ekiti, Benin and other parts of the country have been recorded against incessant electricity outages and charges by DISCOs. In fact, NERC has been dragged to court by a citizen, demanding a halt to any planned increase in electricity tariff. But it seems government will always put the interest of big-business first before considering the conditions and interest of the people.

We recall that the Jonathan government released N8.27 billion to DISCOs in 2013, after getting their various companies at “give-away” prices. In fact the whole money spent by the federal government so far in 2013 was N72.7 billion. Obviously government made huge losses in its sales of the power sector, and this transaction is far from achieving a revitalised power sector. It is altogether disturbing that President Buhari has been arm-twisted by the ruling elites in charge of the power sector to squeeze the masses dry in bid to get more profit.

We call on the mass of Nigerians to resist this new attempt to increase electricity tariff. We call on civil society groups like Joint Action Front (JAF) to mobilise Nigerians against the new attempt of NERC to hand Nigerians over to profit-hungry owners of DISCOs. There is need for Nigeria’s Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to call for a general strike in protest against the new tariff and the attendant misery it will cause Nigerians.

As Alliance of Nigerian Students against Neo-Liberal Attacks (ANSA), we will continue to oppose policies of government that are capable of causing students and workers alike more misery. We instead call on Nigerian government to increase funding to education sector, create more jobs and increase the minimum wage for low income earners.

Signed
Sanyaolu Oluwajuwon, Secretary
Wole Olubanji, Convener