NLC also blamed perceived incompetent headship of the Ministry of Power and National Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, for the unending grid collapses.
The union lamented that National Grid has collapsed under this Minister more than all the previous ministers in the history of Nigeria combined.
Labour made its views known in a statement titled “BEFORE THE POWER SECTOR COLLAPSES: N8 BILLION BUDGET FOR ELECTRICITY BILL SENSITIZATION IS ASHAMEFUL TESTAMENT TO INCOMPETENCE AND WASTEFULNESS”.
NLC equally demanded for a comprehensive audit of the entire power sector budget and others to unearth other potential avenues for corruption and financial recklessness.
In the statement by its President, Joe Ajaero, NLC challenged the power minister to tell Nigerians how much dividend it has received from the DISCOs and other privatised entities since the last 12 years of privatisation in lieu of its 40 percent ownership of the privatized entities.
According to the NLC in the statement, “We will continue to monitor developments in this regard and will not hesitate to mobilise against any attempt to use the budget process as a vehicle for waste and corruption.
“Asking for N8 billion to teach us how to pay bills to DISCOs owned by private entities is entirely questionable and speaks to the deeper worries of Nigerians as to the distinction between those in government and those who bought the electricity companies.”