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The Nigeria Labour
Congress has warned Goodluck Jonathan against the implementation of
what it called “the ill-advised policy to increase electricity
tariffs”, saying that any attempt to do so would only add to the burden
of the citizens.

The NLC, in a
statement released on Thursday and signed by John Odah, its General
Secretary, said, “Mr President should know that the problem in the
power sector is not that of low or poor tariffs but most visibly that
of corruption and the overwhelming influence of a cabal of generator
importers who are determined to frustrate any genuine attempt to
correct the situation.” He, therefore, urged Mr Jonathan to restrain
himself from embarking on any policy that will derail him from
achieving his plans for the sector.

“The quickest way to distraction is this policy of increase in electricity tariffs,” the union said.

The Labour
organisation also called on Nigerians to “oppose and protest any move
to implement the policy in its entirety because it will worsen the
situation of the country’s manufacturing sector, as well as further
impoverish Nigerians and increase the country’s labour and employment
crisis.”

The statement
added: “While we have up to now restrained ourselves from responding to
plans and insinuations by government to, through the National
Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), increase electricity tariffs
in the country, the revelation on Tuesday, May 25, 2010, by the
Minister of State for Power, Nuhu Wya, of the Presidential directive to
raise electricity tariffs in order to make the sector more competitive
and attractive to both local and foreign investors, is not only
insensitive but absolutely unacceptable.”

The NLC said it was
convinced that the correct and logical step is to first of all improve
on the country’s power generation and distribution capacity before
considering the question of increase in tariffs.

“The increment, if allowed to be implemented, is certainly a death
sentence to the very few industries still operating in the country,
most fundamentally, our fragile but active small and medium business
enterprises which today form the backbone of our economy,” the group
said