Electricity workers urge new minister to address issues in power sector

The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has urged the new minister of power, Adelabu Adebayo, to address the outstanding issues affecting the power sector.

NUEE’s acting general secretary, Dominic Igwebike, made the call in a statement on Monday.

Mr Igwebike urged the minister to address the issues within two weeks, to guarantee industrial harmony.

“The honourable minister should be concerned with outstanding issues which include the refusal to issue prepaid meters to Nigerians who are being compelled to pay imposed crazy bills while having less than 4,500mw output of electricity,” he said.

He also cited the refusal of most generation companies to respect extant labour laws since taking over in November 2013, and non-payment of 16 months arrears arising from severance.

The union leader alleged that the minister was yet to reach out to critical stakeholders in the sector to map out ways to improve the sector, optimise productivity and have the impeccable industrial relations atmosphere required to achieve them.

Mr Igwebike said that the power sector had not experienced any system collapse in over 400 days.

According to him, this is due to the industrious and hard-working members that make up the workforce.

“The honourable minister should be guided to the effect that the power sector did not experience any system collapse during the two days warning strike declared across the nation by the Nigeria Labour Congress, which we are affiliated to,” he said.

(NAN)