According to Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, a prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, President Bola Tinubu’s decision to suspend the proposed increase in energy tariffs is evidence that he is considerate of the struggles faced by the general public.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday in Osogbo, Oyintiloye referred back to the revelation made by the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, on November 8 that President Tinubu had recently halted an increase in the price of electricity tariffs and demanded that a subsidy be paid on power consumed across the country.
He stated that the minister insisted that it would be ineffective to eliminate the electricity subsidy when Nigerians were still suffering from the consequences of the elimination of the petrol subsidy.
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“The president’s decision on the electricity hike shows that he was in constant touch with the feelings and aspirations of Nigerians.
“In the quarterly report by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the federal government’s subsidy in the power sector hit N135.2 billion in the second quarter of 2023, from the N36 billion it paid in the first quarter.
“NERC report also revealed that the N135.2 billion recorded in the second quarter of 2023, was an increase of N99.21 billion or 275 per cent compared to the previous quarter of N36 billion.”
According to Oyintiloye, the NERC report revealed that the government continues to subsidise the cost of power for the general public.
He claimed that eliminating the electricity subsidy, which the government was still footing the bill for, would have put additional strain on the general populace.
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“We need to commend the president for not allowing the hike in electricity tariff at this moment to scale through.
“This really shows that the president meant well for Nigerians and all his economic policies are in line and in tune with reality which is in the best interest of the populace.
“Removing electricity subsidy at this time while Nigerians are still struggling with the effects of fuel subsidy removal will not have been the best.
“But because the president is a man who understands what people are presently going through in terms of the exchange rate, galloping inflations among others.
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“And the president is working so hard to make Nigerians smile again, that is more reason he did not allow the hike to scale through”, he said.
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