Indications have emerged that the current power outage being experienced in parts of Imo state is due to the activities of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) as well as the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and the Senior Staff Association of Electricity Employees (SSAEAC).
Dependable sources who pleaded not to be named, explained that it was as a result of the industrial action by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), who are seeking redress from the Imo state Government.
OPTIMUM TIMES reports that both NLC and TUC are protesting over brutalization of the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, who was in Imo state on November 1, with other labour leaders and members to enforce protest meant to compel the state government to honour agreements with the unions as well as liquidate its outstanding indebtedness to workers in the state.
“The airport was also shut down, they are shutting down federal government agencies in Imo state. It is purely an Imo state government issue with the NLC and TUC. It is not a problem between Transmission and Labour”, the Source said.
The source cited that members of the NLC and TUC, including the National Union of Electricity Employees and Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) stormed the transmission premises on November 1st, 2023 to stop work activities.
According to the Source, the industrial action was not directed specifically at the TCN but a general issue intended to ensure that the whole of Imo State is shut down.
Speaking further, the Source said the outage “is a general issue, not particular to Transmission. The whole of Imo State has been shut down. The distribution companies are also part of the action and everything is done in unison.”
It was also revealed that federal government facilities including the Owerri airport were shut down by the union functionaries.
The Source maintained that the unions action is not one between the TCN and the Labour Union, but between Imo State Government and the Labour Unions.
While sympathizing with end users of electricity for the disruption caused by the action of the Labour functionaries, a senior official of the power utility who also pleaded not to be quoted as he was not authorised to speak on the matter, restated the commitment of TCN to the efficient delivery of bulk power to distribution load centres for onward dispatch to end users.
“The industrial action is between the government of Imo state and Imo state workers,” the source affirmed.
A union executive who pleaded to be anonymous also agreed the outage is not particular to TCN.
“It is a general issue, not particular to Transmission. The whole of Imo state has been shut down. The distribution companies are also part of the action and everything is done in unison”, the source cited.
“We sympathize with electricity consumers for the inconveniences caused by the disruption of power supply in the Imo state and restate our commitment to efficiently wheel bulk power to distribution load centres for onward dispatch to consumers”, TCN appealed.
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