The increase in electricity tariffs by 300 percent by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, is the height of cruelty meted to the people who are visibly going through hell with the rising cost of living occasioned by fuel subsidy removal. Right from the inception of the current government, it has been one form of increment after the other. The way things are, the poor in the society, indirectly may have been ambushed by the corrupt political class to bear the brunt of the uncontrolled appetite of our leaders who go borrowing freely without making a difference in the lives of the people.
Nigerians, so to speak, especially lovers of democracy by now may have fully realised what it means by having their hope renewed in a democracy we all craved for. To put it mildly, the sufferings in the land is more than slavery because, it appears no one will be spared by the tax masters whose policies are targeted at the down trodden. For example, the lackadaisical posture of this government towards the plights of the masses that can hardly breathe, having their economic powers completely taken away is antithetical to the social contract between the people and the government in a democracy.
The question begging for answer, is; why would the government increase electricity tariffs without proper consultations, even going ahead to group Nigerians on bands A, B, C, D and E on the service that is not available? For instance, under the new categorisations, those the government claim enjoys 20 hours, 16 hours, 12 hours and down to 8 hours power supply are at variance with the claims of government, and the blame game continues! Under the new tariff, simple calculations show that 24 hours of uninterrupted electricity supply per day will cost N5,400, amounting to a whopping N162,000 monthly bill, with a total average of N1,971,000 annually.
This is happening in a country where minimum wage can’t even take people home prior to this time, and now when people are practically falling and dying as a result of hunger. Unfortunately, many companies have closed shops in the last year, owing to high operational cost. Many too, have relocated to neighbouring African countries to continue their businesses where electricity supply is stable. Those that managed to remain afloat, have either reduced the size of their products or their workforce. These are signs that the government is yet to get its economic rhythm right and should at this time realise the dangers of some of these harsh policies.
The current electricity tariff, to say the least, was not well thought out, and regrettably, may force so many Nigerians who are currently being exploited on different fronts, economically, to go further down the drain. The decision to implement these so-called tariffs and slam it on the people who are still struggling to get out of the mess they find themselves is uncharitable, and would remain so, except the minister in charge of power is called to order. It’s also laughable that a country that cannot generate her own electricity, enough for the citizenry prides itself in providing power to neighbouring African countries.
Some of these high-handed and ill motivated decisions should be reviewed at least, to set the poor masses free from the stranglehold of the tax masters, whose mission about the welfare and well-being of the people they govern remains uncertain. The new electricity tariffs are unjust, wicked, ill timed, insensitive and should be reversed. Its purpose, whether in the short or long term, cannot be achieved because it is oppressive and regressive in nature.
