Electricity Tariff Hike: Abia Lawmaker, Erondu Jnr Moves Motion For Its Suspension

The member representing Obingwa-West state constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly (ABHA), Hon. Erondu Uchenna Erondu Jnr has called for the suspension of the new electricity tariff.

Erondu Jnr who moved the first motion of the 8th Abia Assembly on the matter of urgent public importance at the plenary of ABHA today noted that Nigerians are yet to recover from the shock and hardship occasioned by fuel subsidy removal without any palliative measure to cushion the effects by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on May 29, 2023, urging Federal Government to suspend the new electricity tariff billed to start on 1st July 2023 until the effect of petroleum subsidy removal is properly absorbed.

Erondu Jnr further described the planned hike in electricity tariff as gross insensitivity of the government on the people’s plights, adding that Nigerians are going through untold hardships.

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In his words: “Coming to increase the prices of electricity now will be like adding salt to a deep injury especially as no palliative measure whatsoever has been provided to cushion the effect of petroleum subsidy removal”.

He noted that electricity price has been secretly increased by over 100 percent in the last two years, revealing that a unit of electricity that was sold for N35 is currently been sold at N72.67 kobo.

Erondu Jnr further stated that any further increase would bring untold hardship to the poor masses they are working hard to protect.

He urged the Speaker, ABHA, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Emeruwa and his honourable colleagues, to resolve as follows:

“Urge the Federal Government to suspend the proposed electricity price hike on 1st July 2023 until the effect of petroleum subsidy removal is properly absorbed.

“Besiege our Colleagues at National Assembly to intervene and pass a similar resolution.

“Request the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to include the Nigerian Masses interest in all their negotiations in the current subsidy removal in the energy sector”.

The motion was supported by the member representing Bende North State Constituency, Hon. Nnamdi Ibekwe, the member representing Ikwuano state constituency, Hon. Boniface Isienyi, and the member representing Isiala Ngwa South State Constituency, Hon. Rowland Chinwendu Dennis, as well as the unanimous resolution of the state house of Assembly.

Recall that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his inauguration speech on May 29, 2023, removed fuel subsidies, leading to the soaring price of fuel from N197 to N540 as well as its consequential inflation of goods.