February 15, 2024
By Adeyemi Adeleye, LAGOS
The Accord Party has urged the Federal Government not to remove subsidy on electricity to avoid more hardship on the citizens.
The Lagos State Chairman of the party, Mr Dele Oladeji, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday that removal of another subsidy would be much burden on the masses.
Oladeji said: “Nigerians cannot afford removal of another subsidy.
“Nigerians are already hard-pressed, and should no longer be impoverished by taking electricity beyond their affordability.
“The debt overhead can effectively be cleared if the Federal Government can block leakages and corruption.”
The politician said that most Nigerians would not be able to cope with the cost of electricity without subsidy.
“The planned removal will take electricity access and usage out of the reach and homes of 80 per cent Nigerians,” Oladeji said.
NAN reports that the Federal Government, on Wednesday, said that it had become difficult to sustain subsidy on electricity due to increased debts.
Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu said at a press conference in Abuja that Nigeria must begin to move toward a cost-effective tariff model.
He said that the country was indebted to the tune of N1.3 trillion to electricity generating companies, while its debt to gas companies stood at $1.3 billion.
Adelabu said that the proposed energy removal was aimed at effective energy administration. (NAN)