Human rights attorney Femi Falana criticized the Federal Government for acting in the interests of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank after an increase in electricity tariffs.
Falana made these remarks during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday.
He said, “The Honourable Minister of Power is acting the script of the IMF and the World Bank.
“Those two agencies insisted and they continue to insist that the government of Nigeria must remove all subsidies. Fuel subsidy, electricity subsidy and what have you; all social services must be commercialised and priced beyond the reach of the majority of Nigerians.
“So, the government cannot afford to protect the interest of Nigerians where you are implementing the neoliberal policies of the Bretton Wood institutions.”
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, criticized Western nations, led by the United States, for their hypocritical policies. He pointed out that while these countries provide subsidies for agriculture, energy, and fuel, and offer grants and loans to needy students, they advise the Nigerian government against extending similar benefits to its own citizens.
The recent announcement of an electricity tariff hike by the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, sparked widespread public outrage. However, Minister Adelabu claimed that the increase would only impact Band A customers, who receive about 20 hours of electricity daily.
Despite this, Falana argued that neither Minister Adelabu nor the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has provided a sufficient justification for the increase.
He emphasized that Nigerian law does not support discriminating against customers by placing them in different bands and asserted that the government should not charge different rates for the same service, especially when the service is frequently inadequate.
Falana also expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of a Senate investigation into the matter, suggesting that a legal approach would be more appropriate. He believes that taking the issue to court would force the Minister and the Attorney General of the Federation to defend the tariff hike formally.