- Labour alleges fraud in regards to electricity subsidy.
- FG says it is subsidizing electricity every month.
- NLC says no justification for subsidizing the sector.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has faulted the assertion by the Federal Government (FG) that it subsidizes electricity. The NLC says it is fundamentally wrong that the FG subsidizes a privatized sector.
The Deputy Chairman NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, has lambasted the FG for saying it subsidizes electricity. He said it is wrong for the FG to subsidize a privatised sector. “When it (the sector) was operated by the government-owned National Electricity Power Authority (NEPA), the tariff was down, as no one was giving NEPA any subsidy. It was running the lowest tariff. Now, the companies (Discos) have been sold to some people, and they have increased tariff five times, and are still telling you that they are subsidising. Something must wrong there”.
The idea of subsidizing electricity has always been frowned on by the NLC, Ajaero said, and it is fraudulent for the FG to do so, he added. “We told you that there is no subsidy. How do you subsidise a commodity that is produced by the private sector? Do you subsidize Garri, plantain and banana? Unless they are being blackmailed by the operators,” he said.