As Nigerian express anger over the proposed hike in electricity tariff, Civil Society Organisations under the umbrella of Forum for Good Governance in Nigeria(FGGN) said it has concluded arrangements to embark on a protest tomorrow against the Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu for insisting on electricity tariff hike, despite economic hardship facing Nigerians.
The CSOs, which described the position of the minister as “Insensitive” said his claim that there would be total blackout in the country in the next three months if the proposed tariff hike is not implemented is wicked, reports Daily Independent.
In a press statement jointly signed by National Coordinator and Secretary;Comrade Abraham Douglas and Comrade Bala Galadima Ikara, the FGGN said, rather than talk about hike in tariff during this critical period of dearth of development in the country, the minister is expected to work on measures to restore constant power supply that will help to attract investors to establish sustainable business and boost the economy.
Adding that the excuse he gave that “if the federal government continues to pay electricity subsidy for Nigerians, investors will not come” is illusionary and unacceptable.
While supporting the Senate Committee on Power, led by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe on concerns over the suffering of Nigerians, the CSOs however joined the Senate committee in rejecting the new tariff regime.
According to the statement, “We have decided to stand as a voice for Nigerians to continue to call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sack the Minister of Power, Chief Adelabu Adebayo over alleged ineptitude.
The statement further reads: “Nigerians know that the Ministry of Power under Chief Adebayo Adelabu is ‘powerless’ and has no value addition either to Nigerians in general or the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration in particular.
“The level of cluelessness within the Ministry is nauseating and embarrassing as our national Electricity Grid keeps collapsing like a pack of cards.
“Adelabu has no business remaining in the critical offices he occupies. For failing Nigerians, he should just take the honourable path and resign, or be faced with a frequent Civil Society mass actions, because Nigerians are sick and tired of his weakness and lack of capacity to deliver on Tinubu’s campaign promise .
“Just imagine, within a quarter of a year, Nigeria has experienced six incidents of electricity grid collapse with an agonising reality of the poorest and most epileptic power supply in many years with attendant impact on businesses and the economy at large”, the statement reads.
