Primate Elijah Ayodele on Thursday slammed the Federal Government for increasing electricity tariff by over 300 per cent.
Ayodele, who foretold the increment last year, stressed that it will not bring any difference to the power sector because electricity will still not be stable as it’s supposed to.
The Federal Government announced the increment on Wednesday and explained that Band A users will be required to pay more for electricity.
In his reaction, Ayodele stated that the tariff increase will affect so many people in the country and that the idea will lead to disappointment in the government.
The cleric explained that the best thing the government should do is make the electricity supply stable in order to help local manufacturers and improve the economy before increasing tariff.
In a statement by his Media Aide, Oluwatosin Osho, Ayodele said: ‘’Despite increasing electricity tariffs, it won’t guarantee 24/7 power supply in the country. It won’t make any difference because what is needed right now is anything that will improve the economy and make it better.
‘’Nigeria is still battling with a stable power supply and increasing electricity tariff will not help the country at all. It will only be justifiable if we have electricity stability across the country’’
‘’Increase in tariff will affect a lot of people, it’s an idea that will not last because Nigerians will still be disappointed in the power supply. The best thing the government can do is to make light stable so that the economy can boom and help local manufactures before an increase in electricity tariffs.’’
‘’The government is supposed to increase power supply by working on all our dams for the purpose of stability. The increment is a good idea but it’s wrong timing. It won’t give the country what is needed; there won’t be any serious result.’’
He advised the government to make a lot of changes in the power sector, expressing the need for states to be empowered to transmit power.
Ayodele also called on the government to check the power supply to neighbouring countries, alleging that there is corruption in the system.
‘’The government has to make a lot of changes in the power sector; states should also be empowered to transmit power. We shouldn’t be doing shifts when it comes to electricity. If we have enough power supply, increasing tariffs won’t be a problem.
‘’There is a lot of supply the government is doing, they need to check supply to other countries because there is so much corruption in the system. The system needs to be cleared. I also urge the government to pray against explosion in any of our power transmission facilities,” he added.
