Electricity Blackout Begins As Workers Commence Gradual Shut Down Of Transmission Stations, Stakeholders Berate Govt For Lethargy 

Consequently besides the high cost of living, Petroleum products like diesel and kerosene and heightened insecurity, Nigerians are now contending with blackout, a situation that has taking the insecurity to another higher and dangerous level.

The workers at about 10 am this morning began to shut down the transmission stations thereby plunging the nation into partial blackout, with possibility of total blackout by the end of the day

The action commenced through a systematic shutting of the stations. As of 11.46 am this morning it is believed that about 60 percent of the stations have been shut down.

The action according to an insider close to the transmission operations is essentially  to put pressure on the government to accede to their demands.

The source said even though some stations are still in operation, the intention was not to shut down everything at the same time.

Phase one of the threat by the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE )was executed on Tuesday with the picketing of the headquarters of the Transmission Company  Of Nigeria (TCN) to press home their demands for the implementation of yet-to-be-honoured agreements between it and the management of the company.

They complained about the alleged failure of the Federal Government to pay the entitlement of former staff of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) in December 2019.

The aggrieved workers under the aegis of the national union of electricity employees NUEE said this is a prelude to an indefinite strike action expected to commence on August 17.

In a circular entitled “call to action”, the general secretary of NUEE, Joe Ajaero, directed them to ensure total compliance, vowing to paralyse operations of TCN nationwide over anti-masses activities.

The union has promised to escalate its action today by shutting done all the transmission stations in the country, thereby plunging the nation into total darkness.

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This means the nation’s electricity supply crisis could worsen from today following this impasse.

There is no doubt that this has implications for both the social and economic activities of the country as it would further endanger the already badly managed and extremely fragile economy that is gasping for breath.

It will result in greater losses by entrepreneurs, companies, artisans and the economy will worst for it.

To avert this, the Federal Government through the minister of state for Power  Goddy Jedy-Agba made a passionate appeal to the union and demanded they suspend the strike action as he promised he would get back to the union in two weeks

.A letter signed by the Minister of State for Power and addressed to the General Secretary of NUEE said, “The Ministry of Power takes cognisance of your complaints therein and is committed to offering solutions that will be acceptable to all parties concerned.

“May we appeal to your great Union to allow us two weeks from the date of this letter to address the issues and come up with proposals towards acceptable resolution of all issues”

But Joe Ajaero, Deputy President of Nigeria Labour Congress said from all indications, government is not committed to meeting the demands of the workers.

Ajaeo, who spoke on Channels Television, Sunrise, on Wednesday said the issue has been on the discussion table with government since 2019, adding, the issue is beyond the minister of state.

According to him, how can a minister who had been on the issue for some years come and request for additional two weeks, after giving the government about 40 days warning?

Analysts see the development as unfortunate that the government would allow things to degenerate to the extent that critical sectors of the economy are either in limbo or comatose, due to bad governance.

“We have never had it so bad as if nobody is in control presently. You have a government that will allow its workers to resort to strikes before an official would come out to seek for more time, even as the economy continues to bleed.“

Another analysts said that “reneging on promises and agreements by this government has become a normal occurrence, just like government has abandoned students in public universities and their parents to suffer, with endless strike action by Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU), other Nigerians are being affected now and one would not be surprised if the economy is shut down.“