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Nigeria In Blackout Despite Suspended Electricity Workers' Strike

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja

Barely ten hours after electricity workers under the auspices of National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) suspended a-day nationwide strike action, blackout persists in Nigeria. 

Checks by BOblog on Thursday reveals that sounds of generators dominated activities in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Portharcourt, Enugu, Lagos, Anambra and other commercial cities across the country. 

This was linked to the inability of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to restore power supply after the shutdown of national electric power following the industrial strike by NUEE. 

NUEE had on Wednesday evening suspended its nationwide strike for two weeks after a meeting with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige.

The secretary-general of the union, Joe Ajaero stated that the federal government promised to resolve the issues raised by the union within two weeks.

He insited that the union will down tools again if government fails to yield to their demands. 

Part of their demands include the non-payment of outstanding arrears owed to workers of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), suspension of conditions of service and career path for workers, and among others.

In addition, a committee headed by the Minister of State for Power, Jeddy Agba was set up to resolve the issues raised by the union.

They agreed to form a bipartite committee that would critically examine the pending issues and report back in two weeks. 

However, the General Manager of Public Affairs, TCN, Ndidi Mbah in a statement Wednesday said that TCN is working to restore power and resolve the industrial dispute.

The statement reads, "“The incident occurred at 15:01Hrs, today (Wednesday) after several 330kV transmission lines and 33kV feeder-lines across the power system network had been switched off by the union members, resulting in generation-load imbalance and multiple voltage escalations at critical stations and substations."

“Regrettably, this is coming weeks after we had emerged from a hectic grid management regime, precipitated by the paucity of generation, which we grappled with for a couple of months."

“It would be recalled, in tandem with the initiative of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission on Partial Activation of Contracts coupled with the stream of interventions by the ministry of power and other stakeholders in the value chain-grid generation (at Peak) had reached 4,830.69MW as at the 16th of August, 2022."

“In spite of this setback, we are set to restore the grid as quickly as possible. The ministries of power and labour & employment are currently meeting with the union Officials in order to resolve the issues."

“The Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry appreciates the understanding of our customers — within and outside the country. Enduring mechanisms are being instituted to avert a situation of this kind, going forward", she concluded. 

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