The Association of Hotel Owners in Kwara State, on Tuesday, took to the streets to protest what it described as an outrageous and insensitive hike of electricity tariffs given to them by the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company in the state.
The protest which later terminated at the office of the Nigeria Electricity Regulation Commission (NERC) on Kwara State Stadium Road, Ilorin in the afternoon was led by its President, Alhaji Dauda Akande who handed the petition containing the grievances of the Association to the Secretary of Ilorin branch Forum of NERC.
The complaints according to the protesters included an electricity tariff hike, computer manipulation and several hours given to them for electricity supply by the IBEDC which is the company in charge of Electricity supply to Kwara State.
Some Placards carried by the hoteliers read, “IBEDC, stop hike in Electricity tariff, We say capital no to high Electricity tariff by IBEDC, We will not allow IBEDC to drive us out of business, NERC, please rescue us from high Electricity tariff impose on our members by IBEDC”, among others
In the letter presented to the NERC secretary, Akande alleged that the IBEDC wanted to drive members of the hotel owners in the state out of business with the high Electricity tariff being imposed on them.
According to him, “In its recent upward review of its tariffs, IBEDC outrageously and insensitively increased the electricity tariff of its band A customers, under which many of our members fall, from N74 to N225 per unit.
“The company later effect marginal downward review to N205 per unit. This afterthought marginal reduction is grossly inadequate and many of our businesses cannot survive this tariff hike under the prevailing economic situation of our country.
