The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has kicked against the New Year ‘gift’ of hike in electricity tariff as approved by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government, saying the new tariff should be jettisoned with immediate effect.
The party described the hike in electricity tariff from N2 to N4 per kWhr, as announced by the National Electricity Regulatory Commission NERC, as “insensitive, anti-people which will worsen the economic hardship being faced by Nigerians at this time.”
The PDP’s reaction to the fresh electricity tariff was contained in a statement on Tuesday, January 5, 2021, issued by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan.
The party contends that the reasons adduced by NERC are not enough to warrant such an increase in electricity tariff, especially at the time Nigerians are looking up to the government for economic recovery programmes and packages.
The PDP urges the APC and its government to note that such an electricity tariff hike, at this critical time, “will bear more pressure on homes and businesses, impact negatively on our national productivity and make life more unbearable, particularly at this period of insufferable economic recession.”
The statement continued: “What our nation needs at this point are positive policies that will encourage Nigerians in their productive endeavours and cushion the hardship they face on a daily basis instead of wicked policies that will only worsen their situation.
“It is imperative for the federal government to note that Nigerians are already weighed down by high costs and weak purchasing powers and as such should not be further burdened with high electricity costs.
“Our party, therefore, asks President Buhari to immediately review the hike and make further consultations on more affordable ways to meet the power need of the nation instead of this resort to tariff hike.”
Source: Vanguard
