April 10, 2024 (EIRNS)—The National Union of Electricity Employees on April 8 denounced the barbaric 230% price increase for electricity (announced by the Tinubu administration on April 3,) saying they would not hesitate to call a strike against electricity distribution companies if the surcharge— affecting the top 15% of electricity consumers— was not reversed. The NUEE is a core member of the National Labor Congress, which has already led two national strikes against Tinubu’s austerity policies since the President’s inauguration less than a year ago.
In a signed statement, NUEE National President Adebiyi Adeyeye called “upon all Nigerians to join us in raising our voices against this injustice,” adding that, “Together, we can force the government to prioritize the well-being of its citizens over corporate interests.”
Calling Tinubu’s electricity tariff hike “a blatant disregard for the economic struggles of Nigerian workers,” Adeyeye said: “If the government fails to address the crippling cost of electricity, NUEE will not hesitate to take strong action,” specifically the targeting of the country’s privatized electricity distribution companies.
A week earlier, on March 30, the NUEE had called on Tinubu to declare a national emergency on the decrepit state of the “unbearable” power sector in Nigeria, saying that there was no longer any hope that the nation’s 10-year program of privatized power distribution companies (discos) would solve the problem.
Tinubu announced his price hike four days later.
