BREAKING: Blackout Looms In Nigeria As Electricity Workers Begins Strike, Stage Protest In Abuja

• Electricity Workers is set to begin strike and have staged protest in Abuja.

THE NATION REPORTERS reports that the Organised Labour has directed power sector workers to put down tools as they declared the commencement of an indefinite strike.

Due to labour issues with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), aggrieved workers under the umbrella of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) have begun to protest at the National headquarters of the TCN in Abuja.

In a circular by the General Secretary of the NUEE, the union issued a “Call to Action” to the Senior Assistant General Secretaries and Zonal Organising Secretaries on August 15th to ensure total compliance of the union.

The union of electricity employees issued a 14-day warning strike notice in May 2022. Workers under the union described the management’s refusal to address complaints that arose from the 2021 promotion exercise.

In a petition to the Managing Director of the TCN, the General Secretary of the NUEE lamented that 67 managers and holders of NEPA training certificates, gunning for senior managers were not invited to the promotion exercise.

In addition, 196 system operators going from senior managers to principal managers who passed the interview were yet to be promoted out of the 262.

Finally, TCN’s implementation of strange Memo HCF/SPSO/R&WP/649373 dated May 29th 2020 on the re-engagement of severed Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) staff in the public service. This came after payment of severance packages had been made which resulted in becoming an instrument for disenfranchisement.

Meanwhile, the NNPC has been in the news in recent days following its relaunch or, better still, rebranding. It was all pomp and pageantry as President Muhammadu Buhari unveiled what has been termed the new NNPC Limited before a multitude of jovial guests at a ceremony in Abuja on July 19, 2022.

Before the event of July 19, NNPC had the sole responsibility for upstream and downstream developments, as well as regulating and supervising the oil industry. While it is still empowered to fulfil some of these responsibilities, the addition of “limited” signifies that this institution has now metamorphosed from an eminent public, state-owned corporation into a limited liability company.