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PHCN workers to down tools

The current poor power supply in the country may take a turn for the worse next week as the electricity union have threatened to embark … Continue reading PHCN workers to down tools


The current poor power supply in the country may take a turn for the worse next week as the electricity union have threatened to embark on strike over the recent sack of some senior staff of the energy company.

The National Union of Electricity Workers Employees (NUEE) are demanding the re-instatement of the three Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN)  chiefs that were recently sacked by the federal government.

The secretary general of the electricity employees union, Mr Joe Ajaero and his senior staff union counterpart, Mr Bede opara made this known while reacting to the sack of three top executives of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria earlier in the week by the Minister of Power, Professor Barth Nnaji.

The Minister of Power Professor Bart Nnaji on Tuesday relieved three administrative officers of  PHCN for failure to deliver results.

Mr Ajaero noted that the problem with the power sector in the last couple of weeks in power generation and not transmission. “So why the sack of the manager,” he asked.

The labour leader further explained that the nation’s power generation has fallen to “just over 2,000 megawatts as against the Minister’s claim that we are currently generating over 6,000 megawatts.”

Also, the organising secretary, northern zone Mr Temple Iworima said that it’s the government that is sabotaging power sector reform and not the fired personnel.

“It is the government that is sabotaging the supply of gas to the power stations. The known what the problem is but they are not doing anything”he alleged.

The zonal organising secretary of the NUEE Comrade Temple Iworima, also told Channels Television that the sack was unnecessary and will not help the power situation.

He also accused the federal government of sabotaging the power sector with the shady manner in which privatization of the sector is being carried out.

The union also demanded that the transfer of PHCN workers to subsidiary companies should stop until they are paid transfer and salary arrears.

Reacting to the protest, a statement by the Minister of Power, urged the protesters to left the relived PHCN officers enjoy their retirement.

The statement signed by the special assistant Media to the Minister, Ogbuagu Anikwe noted that the technical abilities of Engr. Uzoma Achinanya and Engr. Akinwumi Bada, the two officers that were asked to proceed on retirement had before now publicly acknowledged.

He enjoined the Joe Ajaero led protest to allow the two retirees to enjoy their peaceful retirement.

The Minister noted that “protesting on their behalf would only go to expose issues and circumstances that would have the effect of tinting their hitherto sterling technical contributions to the nation.”