Abuja, Lagos, Osun, Kano, PH, Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo affected
Strike suspended for two weeks after meeting with FG
BY TIMOTHY AGBOR AND MAYOWA SAMUEL
There was blackout across Nigeria on Wednesday following the nationwide strike by electricity workers under the aegis of the National Union of Electricity Employees.
There was, however, assurance on Wednesday evening that the strike would be called off following a three-hour meeting between the workers and the Federal Government represented by the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige.
Addressing journalists later in the evening, the General Secretary of the association, Joe Ajaero announced the suspension of the strike.
Ajaero however noted the workers will resume the industrial action if their demands are not met after two weeks.
“We have been asked to suspend our action and when you suspend an action, you can recall it any moment. We want to believe that the government will handle this matters in good faith as some of them have lingered to a very dangerous point.
“We will not wait again for one year or six months or two years to renew our action if the content of what we agreed today are not implemented.
“So we will take a pause now, wait for about two weeks as they said. Two weeks is not a century and we’ll come back to review what has happened,” he said
The Ikeja Electric Plc and Eko Electricity Distribution Company confirmed the strike in separate public notices to their customers.
The DisCos said the picketing of the Transmission Company of Nigeria by the union members had plunged customers under their networks into darkness.
“Due to the ongoing nationwide picketing of Transmission Stations by the NUEE, we are currently experiencing disruption of power supply as most stations within our network have been shut down.
“Kindly bear with us as we await amicable resolution by the relevant stakeholders.
“Thank you for your usual understanding and cooperation,” Ikeja Electric said.
There were also pockets of outages in Abuja and other parts of the country.
The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company issued a notice informing customers that the outage was due to the withdrawal of services by TCN workers who transmit bulk power from plants to DisCos’ stations.
Similarly, EKEDC said the grounding of activities at the TCN controlled power stations had led to disruption of electricity supply to customers across the country.
“In the meantime, we would like to reassure our esteemed customers that we are currently working with the relevant regulatory authorities and the parties involved to reach an amicable resolution.
“Thank you for your understanding”, the DisCo said.
Also on Wednesday, the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company announced power supply disruption within the South-East due to strike by electricity workers.
This was contained in a statement made available by the Head, Corporate Communications of EEDC, Emeka Ezeh, on Wednesday in Enugu.
“Following the industrial strike embarked upon by the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) at the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), power stations operations across the franchise area of EEDC plc have been disrupted.
“As a result of this, all our feeders are out of supply and this has affected supply to our esteemed customers in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states,” he said.
According to him, consultations are ongoing among critical stakeholders in the power sector to address the issue and possibly restore supply.
“The management of EEDC hereby encourages customers and neighbourhood associations to be vigilant and protect electrical installations within their environment against elements who might take advantage of this outage to vandalise installations,” he said.
The EEDC spokesman also appealed for continued patience and understanding of the company’s esteemed customers “while this is resolved”.
Electricity workers under the aegis of NUEE are protesting the non-payment of outstanding arrears owed to former workers of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria.
Similarly, the residents of Osun State have expressed worry over the disruption of electricity supply in the state.
Osun State was thrown into a total blackout on Wednesday afternoon.
The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company under which Osun falls, had in a public announcement entitled: “Notice of Strike Action by NUEE” and signed by the management and dated August 17, 2022, informed its customers of its decision to down tools.
It reads, “Dear esteemed customers, the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) is said to embark on an industrial strike action at all power stations controlled by Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). This may lead to disruption of electricity supply across the nation. Kindly bear with us.”
But, IBEDC’s Senior Communication Officer, Kikelomo Owoeye said it was TCN that was on strike and not the distribution company.
Speaking with our correspondent on the telephone on Wednesday, Owoeye said: “We (IBEDC) are not the one on strike, it is TCN and if TCN is on strike, there is no way electricity will be supplied to us.”
Residents have expressed worry over the development and called on the Federal Government and other concerned stakeholders to address the issue and ensure that electricity is restored in the state.
NUEE is also protesting suspension of conditions of service and career path for workers and the directive by the TCN board to conduct promotion interviews for acting principal managers who are moving to Assistant General Managers among others.
“We have shut down all power stations and plants in the country. Our members are right now picketing power stations and installations operated by TCN (Transmission Company of Nigeria),” union leader Joe Ajaero said.
He said the strike had already thrown parts of the country of some 210 million people into darkness, adding that the action would not be called off until the union’s demands were met.
In the economic capital Lagos, in the northern city of Kano and in the oil hub of Port Harcourt, residents reported power cuts since early Wednesday.
The NUEE had in a notice signed by Ajaero directed its members to stop work effective August 17.
The union had earlier issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Chief Executive Officer of TCN on May 18, threatening to down tools if its complaints were not resolved.
“You are hereby enjoined to mobilise immediately for serious picketing of TCN Headquarters and Stations nationwide over the directive by the TCN Board that all PMs in acting capacity going to AGM must appear for a promotion interview,” the letter said.
“This directive is in contravention of our Conditions of Service and Career Progression Paths and was unilaterally done without the relevant Stakeholders”, the union said.
The union also decried the failure of the authorities to pay the entitlement of former staff of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria in December 2019.
