TOTAL NATIONWIDE BLACKOUT LOOMS
Electricity workers in Nigeria have threatened to shut down the nation’s electricity
if the federal government forces them out of work without paying them their
entitlements. The workers stated this though their union, the Nigerian Union of
Electricity Employees, NUEE, on Monday in Jos. The federal government has
promised to pay off the over 40,000 workers as part of the privatisation of the
electricity companies, successor companies of the Power Holding Company of
Nigeria, PHCN. The General Secretary of the Union, Joe Ajuero, made the union’s
intention known on Monday at a media briefing in Jos, shortly after addressing
staff of the Jos zonal office of the union on their unpaid
gratuities and
pension. Mr. Ajuero alleged that the federal government has threatened to use
soldiers and othersecurity agencies to force-out the PHCN staff from their
offices across Nigeria. “We are only pleading for the payment of our
entitlements, we will vacate the offices, but if we are not paid, we will not
leave, and our salaries must not be stopped,” he said. He added that “the very
moment our due monies are fully paid, we will leave without further complains.
“But if they decide to use armed men on us, we will make this country enjoy
total blackout of power supply by PHCN.” The Jos zonal office of the PHCN
comprises of Benue, Plateau, Bauchi, and Gombe states. More than 3000 members
of the NUEE attended Monday’s briefing. Mr. Ajuero said the statements of
public officials including that by the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku,
that most of the workers had been paid were false. He described Mr. Maku as
Minister of “misinformation” and called for his sack from office. “The federal
government claims through it information Minister, Labaran Maku, that they have
paid off PHCN staff about 90 percent, this is false, and incorrect. “It is
disheartening to hear that such information emanated from a personality such as
Mr. Maku,” he said. Mr. Ajuero stressed that less that 40 per cent of
electricity workers have been paid their gratuity without the pensions. “No
staff have been paid his or her pension” he said. The union leader said the
NUEE would not allow the handing over of the already sold electricity companies
to the buyers until all the staff were paid their entitlements. He said the
total money needed to pay the workers was about N400 billion as stipulated in
their letters of disengagements. According to union scribe, all transmission
staff of the company have not been paid a penny contrary to government claims.
Contributing, the secretary of the Jos zone of the union, Antony Sule, in an
interview with newsmen said only about 40 per cent of staff from his zone have
received their gratuities. The two union leaders also separately denied any
sabotage by electricity workers on the current electricity situation in the
country. The Federal Government recently handed over the certificates of
ownership to the private investors who bought the PHCN successor companies,
with a plan to formally handover the companies before the end of the year. The
government has consistently pledged to pay all the workers their entitlements
before the conclusion of the privatisation process.
Read more at: http://naijalog.com/total-nationwide-blackout-looms/
Read more at: http://naijalog.com/total-nationwide-blackout-looms/
God will surely punish whoevr is delaying d money,they ar often a bunch of shameless liars in d nigerian govt waiting for those elderly pple to die so that they can keep unpaid monies in private pockets... liars!
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteinvestors now have a rare opportunity to maximize ROI on their capital through mc'dave investment services ltd. this is a company that has records of consistency and dignity from the reviews i have seen about them. I bet Nigeria needs such companies as mc'dave investment services ltd to further boost its economy and its people. check their website, m c d a v e i n v e s t . c o m for more information. cheers.