- Safiu Kehinde
The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has proposes 5% telecommunication tariff hike while insisting on protest if the tariff remains unchanged.
NLC held that a 50% telecom tariff hike as announced by the government can’t work as Nigerians have had to endure high energy prices.
The labour union spokesman, Benson Upah, stated this on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Thursday.
“They keep on emasculating us through stupid taxes. It will come to a point when people can pay but they won’t pay,”
The labour union official rejected the recent announcement of a 50% telecom tariff hike by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and proposed a 5% increase in the cost of data and calls.” Upah said.
On the announced nationwide protest, he said there was no going back on the protest which is scheduled for Tuesday, February 4, 2025.
This, according to him, is to drive home the displeasure of the group against the recently announced telecom tariff increase.
Upah said, “This rally is to halt this mindless tariff increase. And if by any chance there has to be an increase at all, 5%, given the fact of our situation that there have been increases across board.
“But now to say 50%, it is not going to work. Where will the ordinary Nigerians be at the end of the day when we have energy tariff increases?
“The manufacturers are groaning, the middle-class people are groaning. The ordinary Nigerians on the streets can’t even afford to turn on the lights in their sitting rooms. When taxes are low, more people than when you have high taxes.”
NPO reported that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) had announced the approval of the 50% hike in tariff following agitations by the telecommunication companies on the need for increment.