Northern Elders Forum Criticizes Electricity Tariff Hike, Warns of Potential Security Risks
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The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has voiced its dismay and apprehension regarding the recent decision by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to increase electricity tariffs. The group, in a statement released on Thursday, April 4, expressed concern that such a move could exacerbate security challenges.
NEF rebuked the decision, labeling it as hastily executed and demonstrating a lack of consideration for the welfare of Nigerians. According to Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, the Director of Publicity and Advocacy for the pan-northern group, the significant hike in electricity tariffs would have severe repercussions.
The forum underscored the disproportionate impact of the tariff hike on vulnerable segments of the population, exacerbating socioeconomic disparities between the affluent and the impoverished. They emphasized the adverse implications of the new tariff structure, foreseeing a substantial burden on average Nigerians in meeting their daily electricity needs.
Quoted by Daily Trust, NEF articulated, “The decision to implement these tariffs without considering the impact on the average citizen is not only callous but also short-sighted. The resulting consequences could potentially lead to internal security threats as the disparity between the haves and the have-nots becomes more pronounced.”
NEF firmly asserted that the decision to increase tariffs lacked a thorough consideration of the economic realities faced by the majority of Nigerians, highlighting a perceived lack of empathy from the government towards its citizens.
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