Power Minister, Babatunde Fashola
Okon Bassey in Uyo and Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
The Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC), Akwa Ibom State, was on Monday picketed by the combined team of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the nation-wide protest over the 1 February hike in electricity tariff.
The unions cautioned that the picketing was a warning signal, threatening that if the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) does not reverse the increase, labour will proceed on a full scale strike nationwide.
In the peaceful protest, workers at the PHEDC office along Paul Bassey Street in Uyo, the state capital, were driven out from the premises and the union leaders locked the gate.
Besides the Uyo office, the union leaders moved around the Ikot Ekpene and Eket Senatorial districts where they besieged the company’s offices, chanting songs of solidarity as they waved green leaves.
In Akwa Ibom State, the union leaders insisted that there was no reason for the tariff hike since the state has its own Ibom Power Plant producing gas for electricity noting that in the state electricity is being subsidized by the state government.
The State Chairman, TUC, Mr Akamba Awah, said the protest by his union and the NLC counterpart was not on payment of salaries or allowances but the sudden increase in electricity tariff by the National Electricity Regulatory Commission.
Labour leaders in Kwara state also joined their counterparts across the 36 states of the federation to stage a peaceful protest over the increase in the electricity tariff by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
As early as 8.00a.m on Monday, labour leaders across the Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) and Trade Union Congress(TUC) in the state mobilized their members out to picket the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company in Ilorin, the state capital over the increase in the tariff of electricity.
Armed with various placards with inscriptions, ‘Nigerian are groaning in abject poverty”, “Fasola should resign”, “ Nigerians didn’t vote for this kind of punishment”, “Stop your crazy bills,” “We cannot pay more for sick light”, “Provide us with prepaid meters now”, “Give us twenty-hours uninterrupted power supply now,” among others.
The laoour leaders who stormed IBEDC offices located along Challenge road, Babaoko with their members, prevented the workers of the company who arrived early enough for work on Monday from gaining entrance into their various offices during the protest.
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