The House of Representatives’ Committee on Communications is interfacing with the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress-NLC to avert the nationwide protest scheduled for February 4, 2025, over the 50 per cent hike in telecom tariff.
The Nigerian Communications Commission recently approved a 50 per cent tariff increase for telecommunication companies, citing prevailing operational costs.
Miffed by the development, the NLC vowed to embark on a nationwide protest, calling on the Federal Government and the National Assembly to revert to the old tariff in the interim.
The union noted that the rally would serve as a warning on the dangers of imposing such an alleged unfair increase on a struggling population earning a minimum wage of only 70,000 naira; a population that has suffered an outrageous hike in the price of petrol, high cost of food, hike in electricity tariff, among sundry hardship in the past few years.
Meanwhile, speaking on the issue, the Chairman, House Committee on Communications, Peter Akpatason, said the panel was already reaching out to the NLC to shelve the planned mass protest.
Akpatason who represents Akoko-Edo Federal Constituency, Edo State, noted that the planned protest, if allowed to hold, would only bring about more hardship for Nigerians.