Electricity workers have shut down the national grid
following the declaration of an indefinite strike by organized labour unions.
Ndidi Mbah, the spokesperson for Transmission Company of
Nigeria, confirmed this on Tuesday to Dailypost.
According to her, electricity workers, the National Union of
Electricity Employees (NUEE), followed directives of the Nigeria Labour
Congress to withdraw their services around 11:20 am on Monday, leading to a
nationwide blackout.
“Electricity workers are NLC members; they’ve followed the
directive by organized labour to withdraw their services from Tuesday”, she
stated.
It was gathered that the Federal Capital Territory and its
environs are experiencing a blackout.
Recall that the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union
Congress announced a nationwide indefinite strike starting Tuesday despite a
court order restraining the unions from doing so.
Reacting to the development, the Presidency, in a statement
by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information &
Strategy, said strike action by unions was a flagrant disobedience to court
order and a lack of respect for the judiciary.
Accordingly, the government expressed displeasure that the
nation’s economy and social activities should not suffer because of the
personal interest of any labour leader.
Recall that the unions last week issued a
nationwide strike notice over an assault on Joe Ajaero, the President of NLC,
on November 1 2023, in Imo State.
As workers commenced a nationwide indefinite strike on Tuesday, the Transmission Company of Nigeria has said there is no truth in a media report about a looming national blackout.
TCN emphasised that the claim made by an online news outlet alleging that the Head of Public Affairs of TCN predicted a national blackout was inaccurate and misleading.
This was revealed in a statement signed by TCN management which was shared on its X account on Tuesday.
As workers commenced a nationwide indefinite strike on Tuesday, the Transmission Company of Nigeria has said there is no truth in a media report about a looming national blackout.
The statement clarified that no such declaration was made by the Public Affairs Head, disclosing that the country’s power grid remained intact, consistently providing substantial electricity to distribution load centers across the nation.
The statement said, “The Transmission Company of Nigeria hereby states that the publication by Daily Post alleging that the Head of Public Affairs of TCN said that there will be a national blackout is false and totally misleading.
“The statement is mischievous and baseless as TCN, through the Public Affairs Head, did not make such statement.
“We hereby note that the nation’s grid is intact and supplying bulk electricity to distribution load centers nationwide.
“As at when issuing this statement, the TCN National Control Centre Osogbo which controls bulk power transmission nationwide, is actively operational.”
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
Imagine Bayo Onanuga saying the strike action by unions was a flagrant disobedience to court order and a lack of respect for the judiciary, has the Judiciary ever respected the wishes of Nigerians?
ReplyDelete