Ali Ndume, the Senate Chief Whip, has denounced the most recent increase in electricity rates.
The Borno federal legislator stated in a statement issued on Saturday, April 6, that the timing is incorrect since Nigerians have not yet recovered from the elimination of fuel subsidies.
In the best interests of Nigerians, Ndume urged the Federal Government to reevaluate its stance, noting that many of them are dealing with a variety of difficulties, such as unheard-of inflation, low purchasing power, insecurity, and other hardships.
The lawmaker further stated that before raising the tariff, the federal government should prioritise providing Nigerians with stable electricity, lowering inflation, stabilising the value of the naira, lowering food prices, and providing other necessities to the country’s citizens. The lawmaker further claimed that the decision was made without the National Assembly’s required consultation as representatives of the people.
The sentence is as follows:
“The news of the (electricity tariff) increment came to me and many of my colleagues as a shock. It also came at a time when the National Assembly is on a break. Personally, I think the timing of this hike is very wrong. Nigerians are grappling with many challenges.
“To put this fresh responsibility on them is very unfair. Nigerians are yet to recover from the fuel subsidy removal of last year. Many Nigerians are still grappling with the ripple effects that removal had on them. To now come up with this is wrong.
“I believe that the timing is wrong. There ought to have been some consultations, especially with the National Assembly as representatives of the people. We were not consulted. We saw the news like every other Nigerian.
“The inflation is still very high. The prices of food commodities, drugs, transportation, school fees, and other daily expenditures are still on the high side. To now add this new burden is unfair.
“The minimum wage has not been increased. Many state governments are yet to even pay the current minimum wage of N30,000. How do we expect the people to survive? We’ve to be very realistic and feel the pulse of the people we represent as a government.
“For me, I think the Federal Government should first of all provide stable electricity, reduce the inflation, stabilise the naira, and prices of food commodities. Then, the purchasing power of Nigerians must significantly improve before we can place a fresh responsibility on them as a government.
“The federal government needs to give the National Assembly the opportunity to also step in and consult because we represent the people. We feel their pulse, and we know what they’re going through right now.”