Sacked Officials: Electricity Unions Threaten Strike despite Perennial Blackouts

Despite the perennial strikes in the country, the electricity workers union namely National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSEAC) have threatened to embark on an industrial action.

The threat comes on the heels of the termination of three senior officials of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

The Minister of Power, Prof. Bart Nnaji, had sacked the erstwhile Managing Director, TCN, Mr. Akinwumi Bada; Market Operator, TCN, Mr. Uzoma Achinanya; and Executive Director, Human Resource, PHCN, Mr. Muyiwa Olushoga, from their posts.

The reason provided for their termination was that they were responsible for the blackouts in the country.

Nnaji had said, “A few persons are internally trying to tinker with the system. We are dealing with them. We are going to vigorously pursue any hindrance to supply and clean up the system.

“There are some people who do not want progress in the country. We need to manage these issues. We are making adjustments in the management of the 18 successor companies and PHCN.”

However the President, SSAEAC, Mr. Bede Opara, and General Secretary, NUEE, Mr. Joe Ajaero, said in a joint statement on Thursday, “The Power minister lied to Nigerians that the three executives sacked recently were responsible for the power cuts currently bedevilling the nation. This is not justifiable and the three officers involved had nothing to do with the failure of power supply.”

They wondered aloud what the Head of Human Resources would have to do with power failure.

Opara and Ajaero said in the statement, “We maintain and demand that the minister should rescind his decision on the transfer of the LPC of the affected members of staff, stop the winding down of PHCN corporate headquarters until all labour issues are resolved, and also reinstate the three estranged executives.

“If these are not done on or before April 11, 2012, the unions in the power sector will commence a potent industrial action.”

One Comment

1. 

   Ohia2020

   April 10, 2012 at 2:55 pm

   nepa has always been on strike so stop disturbing us whether you go on strike or not the black out continues so who cares