Organised labour and its civil society allies yesterday made good their threat as protests against the new Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO2015) which took off February 1 swept across the country, paralysing activities at many electricity distribution companies (Discos) in many cities, The Guardian reports.
In Lagos, Kaduna, Abakaliki, Owerri, Kano, Bauchi, Enugu, Benin City, Maiduguri, Port Harcourt, Ibadan and elsewhere, protesters picketed the offices of the electricity distribution companies, locked the gates and paralysed business activities. In the South East, the offices of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital, Owerri Imo State, Enugu and Umuahia were shut by protesters as were those of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company(AEDC) in Lokoja, Kogi State.
In Kaduna State, activities at the headquarters and the zonal offices of the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company(KEDC) were under lock and key in full compliance with the NLC’s order to picket all Discos.
Offices of Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State were sealed off by protesters led by the Chairman of TUC, The union members also stormed the office of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IEDC) of Nigeria in Monatan, Gate, Mokola and Ring Road where they expressed their displeasure, by singing various solidarity songs.
In Maiduguri, Borno State, the state chapter of NLC and Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) said “45 per cent increase electricity tariff by NERC and Discos was illegal, unjustifiable and to further exploit Nigerians.”