Ekeomah Atuonwu
The organised labor ordered workers in the power industry to stop working and go on an indefinite strike over ongoing labor disputes with the Transmission Company of Nigeria on Wednesday, worsening the situation with regard to Nigeria’s electricity supply (TCN).
On Tuesday, the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) descended at the TCN’s Abuja headquarters.
The disgruntled employees protested that the Federal Government of Nigeria had allegedly failed to pay the benefits due to former employees of the now-defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) in December 2019.
In a circular entitled “call to action”, Joe Ajaero, the general secretary of NUEE, instructed the workers to ensure total compliance, promising to paralyse operations of TCN across Nigeria over anti-masses activities.
The circular read in part, “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.
“This action takes effect from Tuesday, August 16 2022 and total withdrawal of services commences on Wednesday, August 17 2022. Ensure full compliance in all the stations nationwide.
When this started, the development threw the five South-East States into a total blackout, Wednesday, August 17, 2022, afternoon.
Emeka Ezeh, Head, Corporate Communications, Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), confirmed to reporters that operations across the franchise area of the EEDC have been disrupted.
He said, “as a result of this development all our feeders are out of supply and this has affected supply to our esteemed customers in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States.
“Consultations are ongoing among critical stakeholders in the power sector to address this issue and possibly restore supply”.
