By John Ikani
A nationwide blackout is imminent in Nigeria as electricity workers, under the aegis of National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), have vowed to embark on strike if the demand by the organised labour against plan to sell Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to some investors is not halted.
The union in a memo made available to newsmen also appealed to the National Assembly and Nigerians to resist the push for the sale of TCN which will further leave the nation with regrets and ‘had I known.’
They said the memo serves as notice to Nigerians that the union will resume its suspended industrial action for the non implementation of agreements reached in the meetings brokered by the leadership of the House of Representatives and Ministry of Labour.”
The National Union of Electricity Employees of Nigeria (NUEE) General Secretary, Comrade Joe Ajaero said the union wondered why government is still bent on selling off TCN when the transmission and distribution have after eight years of privatisation failed to yield expected turnaround of power sector
“Almost eight years after the privatization of the power sector, there has not been any visible improvement in terms of power supply, expansion or investments by the new owners of the DisCos and GenCos.
This position has enjoyed wide attestation by Nigerians up to the National Assembly.
‘’In the sector’s performance chain today, the Transmission network with a wheeling capacity of 8,000MW has been strengthened to comfortably wheel out Power Generated by the Generation Companies whose average operational generation output is far below the total installed generation capacity (they are not generating full capacities). Nigerians have had to grapple with darkness as the DisCos reject energy wheeled to them by Transmission Company of Nigeria.
