Electricity workers cripple power supply in four states about 12 hours ago

Industrial actions of the Electricity workers on Wednesday crippled power supply to about four states of the federation including Delta, Edo, Ekiti and Ondo States.

This is coming as the union members engaged the government representatives, the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and the Ministry of Labour in a meeting over the unresolved issues in the privatization process.

The Minister of Power, Barth Nnaji who confirmed this disruption, yesterday described it as an act of terrorism, said it is a conscious effort to undermine national security as well as Nigeria’s economic growth.

He alleged that some trade unionists in the power sector who belong to the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) have directed some junior workers in the Benin Station of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to cannibalise and vandalise critical electricity parts in the operations of the station under the guise of agitating for the payment of their pension benefits.

“This morning some workers carried out this immoral and illegitimate order, which has disrupted electric power supply to Delta, Edo , Ekiti and Ondo States. Intelligence reports indicate that these trade unionists are operating without the support or even the knowledge of many members of the Executive Committee of NUEE, and they have planned to damage vital electricity facilities in other parts of the country, he said.

Efforts to reach the General Secretary of NUEE Joe Ajaero for confirmation was fruitless, as he did not respond to several calls and text messages, probably due to the on-going meeting, which was still on-going as at the time of filling this report.

Guardiannews.