*As N160/litre petrol price runs
OpeOluwani Akintayo
Lagos — The federal government has frozen the new electricity tariffs by two weeks in response to a strike threat by the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC and Trade Union Congress, TUC.
The temporary hold on tariffs was declared by the Congresses at exactly 2: 53 am on Monday after it suspended the industrial action billed to commence today.
According to them, implementation of the new tariffs was suspended for two weeks to enable both sides work out an acceptable template on increment.
“…reach agreement at 2:53am. Deregulation to stay as Govt rolls out palliatives for labour (details in 2 weeks); Electricity tariffs suspended by Govt for 2 weeks with a joint Committee headed by @fkeyamo to examine the justification for the new policy. Strike suspended,” Minister of State for Labour, Mr. Festus Keyamo, and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Festus Keyamo announced on his verified Twitter handle, @fkeyamo.
The agreement posted by Keyamo was signed by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige; Petroleum Resources Minister, Timipre Sylva; Power (State), Jedi Agba; Information, Lai Mohammed; and Keyamo, Presidents of NLC and TUC, Ayuba Wabba and Quadri Olalaye respectively; and some other labour leaders.
