The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have given the federal government until May 31 to reverse the electricity tariff.

The labour bodies gave the ultimatum in a communiqué issued in Abuja on Monday at the end of a joint emergency national executive council (NEC) meeting of the NLC and TUC.

On April 3, the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) approved an increase in the electricity tariff for customers in the Band A classification, from N66 to N225 per kwh. The tariff hike attracted public outcry and calls for its reversal.

On May 13, members of organised labour picketed the headquarters of the NERC, the federal ministry of power, and the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) in Abuja, demanding a reversal of the tariff. The protest was replicated across Nigeria.

In the communiqué, the unions said the action taken by the government without consideration for the hardship of the masses was “unjust and burdensome”.

“The NEC once again vehemently condemns the unilateral increase in electricity tariffs by the authorities,” the communiqué reads.

“This action, taken without due consideration for the economic hardships faced by the masses and the provisions of the law, is deemed unjust and burdensome.

“The NEC reaffirms its demands for an immediate reversal of the tariff hike and the vexatious apartheid categorization into bands to alleviate the suffering of Nigerian workers and citizens and gives the National Electricity Regulatory Commission and the federal government until the last day of May 2024 to meet these demands.”

The organised labour said appropriate actions would be taken if the government failed to meet its demands.

“This includes, but is not limited to, the mobilisation of workers for peaceful protests and industrial actions to press home these demands for social justice and workers’ rights,” the unions said.

The labour unions also reiterated the May 31 ultimatum for the federal government to finalise the new national minimum wage fixing process for workers.

“We need an agreement that will genuinely reflect the true value of Nigerian workers’ contributions to the nation’s development and the current crisis of survival facing Nigerians as a result of government’s policies,” the labour movement added.

“The NEC affirms its commitment to ensuring that the interests and welfare of workers are adequately protected in the negotiation process.

“The NEC-in-session therefore reiterates the ultimatum issued by the NLC and TUC to the federal government, which expires on the last day of this month.”

The organised labour directed all councils whose state governments are yet to fully implement the N30,000 national minimum wage and its consequential adjustments to “immediately issue a joint two-week ultimatum to the culpable state governments to avert industrial action”.

Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, has lost his father.

Pa Suleimon Atanda Obasa, a businessman, passed on at the early hours of Tuesday at the age of 83.

Baba Obasa, a loving family man and community leader in his lifetime, was a successful businessman in the oil and gas and in the transportation sectors owning filling stations.

He was also reputed for his success in farming, through which many citizens have always been empowered.

A devoted Muslim, Pa Obasa dedicated his life to the service of Allah and mankind taking care of the needy and the less privileged.

He is survived by his wives, children and grandchildren among whom is the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

His remains would be interred at 4pm in the Agege (Old Abeokuta Motor Road) area of Lagos State, according to Islamic rites.

The Nigerian high commission in London, United Kingdom (UK), has accumulated £8.4 million as unpaid congestion charges.

According to a datasheet released by Transport for London (TfL), the sum is related to unpaid fines and fees that diplomats racked up between the beginning of the congestion charge in 2003 and the end of the previous year.

The TfL is in charge of managing the city’s transport network, which includes the tube, buses, trams, cars, bikes and river services.

A daily fee of £15 is imposed for driving within a designated area of central London between the hours of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays and noon and 6 p.m. on weekends and bank holidays.

There are discounts and exemptions for various groups of people and vehicles, such as residents, taxis, and fully electric cars.

TfL insisted that the payment is a service charge, despite diplomats’ claims that the congestion charge is a tax and they are therefore exempt from paying it under the Vienna Convention.

“This means that diplomats are not exempt from paying it,” the body said in the datasheet.

“The majority of embassies in London do pay the charge, but there remains a stubborn minority who refuse to do so, despite our representations through diplomatic channels.”

According to TfL, the envoys representing different countries owed over £143.53 million in congestion charge payments.

The embassies of the US and Japan are the worst offenders, with debts of £14.6 million and £10.1 million, respectively.

India is in third place with £8.5 million, while Nigeria stands in fourth.

Other countries on the list include Russia, China, Poland, Ghana, Kenya, and France.

The five-page document listed Togo as the country with the least charges at £40.