The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued a stern warning to the Federal Government, threatening a nationwide strike over the proposed electricity tariff increase for consumers in Bands A, B, and C. Following its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Yola, Adamawa State, the union made it clear that any attempt to implement the new tariffs would be met with massive protests across the country.
Government’s Excuse or Daylight Robbery?
Last Thursday, Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, announced that lower bands would be upgraded to Band A, a move that will force millions of Nigerians to pay more for electricity. However, the NLC argues that this so-called band upgrade is nothing but a fraudulent scheme to impose higher bills on struggling citizens under the guise of improving power supply.
In a strongly worded communique, signed by NLC General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, the union condemned the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) for what it called a “sham reclassification” of electricity consumers.
“We reject the ongoing fraudulent reclassification of electricity consumers by NERC, which seeks to forcefully migrate consumers from lower bands to Band A under the pretense of service improvement, while in reality, imposing unjustified extortion on the masses,” the statement read.
Empty Threats or the Real Deal?
The NLC has vowed to shut down the nation if the government proceeds with the tariff hike, declaring it “nothing but legalized extortion.” But let’s be honest, this is not the first time the NLC has threatened a strike over electricity tariff hikes, and yet, nothing ever happens.
For years, the labour union has issued ultimatums, staged walkouts, and called for nationwide strikes, yet the government continues to implement policies that crush the common people. Will this time be different, or is this just another empty threat? If the NLC is serious about protecting Nigerians, it must act decisively instead of repeating the same old script.
Until then, this “strike threat” feels like just another episode in the long-running series of NLC vs. FG, where the government always wins, and the people always lose.
