The President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has sharply criticized the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, over his proposed electricity migration plans.
During a budget defense session at the National Assembly on Tuesday, Adelabu stated that 90% of electricity users in Band A confirmed they were benefiting from being in that category.
However, Ajaero, speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, denounced the idea of shifting customers between bands, calling the practice discriminatory.
He also referred to the service-based tariff, which places users in different bands, as “the highest form of fraud.”
He said, “Now the ministry is talking about migrating people from Band B to Band A. That is the highest level of fraud imaginable.”
Ajaero further questioned the logic behind the band classifications, asking, “What determines who is in Band A or Band B? Is it based on geography, or is it the power provider’s decision?
“In countries that aim for 24-hour power supply, why would there be Band A or Band B? This idea seems designed to make money unnecessarily while claiming people are being migrated.”
He also expressed concerns about the fairness of the system, asking, “What are the criteria for being in Band A or Band B? Why should one person get Band A while another receives Band B? These are the critical issues.”
Under the current system, Band A customers enjoy 20 hours of power supply per day, Band B customers receive at least 16 hours, Band C customers get a minimum of 12 hours, Band D customers experience at least 8 hours, and Band E customers have at least 4 hours of power supply.
