The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Oyo State chapter, says it won’t backtrack on picketing the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) until the federal government reduces the hiked electricity tariff.

NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) picketed the offices of IBEDC and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission in Ibadan on Monday due to NERC’s recent hike in electricity tariffs.

Members of staff and customers at the offices of IBEDC and NERC at the Ring Road Capital Building, as well as Jericho, Dugbe, and Oluyole, were sent out with their gates locked by the unions.

Addressing journalists, Kayode Martins, the chairman of the Oyo State NLC, said the unions would not backtrack on their demands until the FG reduced the electricity tariff.

According to Mr Martins, it is unfair for the government to increase the electricity tariff when Nigerians are still battling economic hardship caused by the removal of the petrol subsidy.

He said Nigerians were not enjoying electricity supply, which he described as epileptic.

“We are tired of all the policies being rolled out by our leaders, and people are finding it difficult to live conveniently due to these policies, which are not properly laid out and implemented,” he said.

The Oyo State TUC vice-chairman, Ranti Sowemimo, affirmed that Nigerians were paying more for electricity they do not enjoy.

Ms Sowemimo called on the FG to reverse the hike and reduce the suffering faced by Nigerians.

Members of the unions displayed placards with inscriptions such as “Nigeria workers and people reject electricity tariff hike” and “Reverse the tariff hike,” among others. 

(NAN)