The Association of Hotel Owners in Kwara staged a protest in Ilorin on Tuesday over an outrageous electricity tariff hike by the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).

The protesting hoteliers carried placards with inscriptions like “Capital No to Electricity Tariff by IBEDC,” “Prevent Job Losses,” and “Reduce the Tariff,” among others.

President of the association, Dauda Akande, said IBEDC, in its recent upward review of its tariff, ‘outrageously and insensitively’ increased the electricity tariff of its Band A customers.

Mr Akande said the tariff for band A customers, under which many of his members fall, was increased from N74 to N225 per unit.

“The company later effected a marginal downward review to N205 per unit.

“This afterthought marginal reduction is grossly inadequate, and many of our businesses cannot survive the tariff hike based on the country’s prevailing economic situation,” he said.

Mr Akande noted that if IBEDC failed to effect a substantial downward review of the tariffs, many businesses would collapse, and there would be job losses across the country.

According to him, this will compound the country’s current economic challenges.

“We implore the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission to intervene without further delay to save our businesses and jobs,” he said.

In his response, the head of the forum, NERC, Ilorin, said the commission was aware of the hoteliers’ grievances.

He said the forum would forward their protest letter to NERC headquarters in Abuja.

(NAN)