The Nigerian workers, under the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, have shut the Ondo State headquarters of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC, situated within NEPA axis of Akure, the state capital.
The protest, on Monday, followed the recent hike in electricity tariffs by the National Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC.
With the main gate of the BEDC barricaded by the unionists, commission staff members were prevented from gaining entrance to the premises as the protesting union members demanded the reversal of the tariff hike.
Speaking while picketing the Discos office, the Ondo State Chairman of the NLC, Comrade Victor Amoko described the recent hike in electricity tariff as unjustifiable.
Amoko, who was flanked by the State JNC Chairman, Comrade Ademola Olapade, and other affiliate union chairmen, noted that “we discovered that the FG is so silent over the tariff hike and we observed that the FG is intentionally supporting them to frustrate us.
“We say no to increment in tariff. Before now, we didn’t have adequate electricity supply despite paying a huge amount of money.
“In Akure for instance, for four good days, we won’t have electricity supply and they keep increasing the tariff. We are saying enough is enough.
“What they’re doing is clandestinely short-changing the entire populace. We don’t want it anymore.”
On his part, the State Chairman of TUC, Clement Fatuase, appealed to President Bola Tinubu to halt the harsh economic policies his administration had been introducing in the last year.
