The Lagos/ Ogun Chapter of National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) on Tuesday said that its members decided to go on strike to protest the deployment of soldiers to PHCN facilities.
Mr Mbang Etukube, Chairman of the chapter, in telephone interview in Lagos said that the protest would continue until the directive was reversed.
Etukube said that the deployment of soldiers to PHCN facilities was another way of distracting the workers.
“This is another way of dealing with workers by engaging soldiers to take over PHCN facilities across the country.
“Government should reverse the directive so that we can go back to our lawful duties as PHCN workers,’’ he said.
Mr Chris Akamnonu, Chief Executive Officer of Ikeja Electricity Distribution Zone, told NAN that the strike would affect PHCN operations in the zone.
Akamnonu said that official notices should have been given to the management in the zones before the workers embarked on the strike.
He said that the gates to PHCN offices in the zone were shut on Tuesday morning by the workers without any formal notice.
“I really don’t know what is happening, but I have called the leaders of the union for briefing because locking the gates will drastically affect our operations.
“This will affect some of our customers who come to complain and pay bills. We hope this will be resolved urgently,’’ he said.
Mrs Efuru Igbo, PHCN General Manager (Public Affairs), however, said that the workers in Abuja were not on strike.
“Nothing like strike is happening here in Abuja; we are working.
“We hope that workers in other states will follow suit because we don’t understand what the strike is all about,’’ she said.
Mr Cdon Adinuba, Special Adviser on Media to the Minister of Power, said that the ministry would issue an official statement on the development.
“I don’t want to speak on this now because the ministry will later in the day, (Tuesday) issue an official statement on the matter,” he said.
NAN recalls that the Ministry of Power, had on Monday, deployed soldiers to assist police in safeguarding PHCN facilities nationwide.
The deployment was sequel to an advice from the intelligence agencies that government should beef up security in “critical infrastructural facilities in Nigeria”. (NAN)
It’s quite unfortunate that the deployment of soldiers to PHCN was to foil attack by the so called boko haram. When shall we stop living in shadows of a group that its purpose is greatly misunderstood & overblown. See now everyone is suffering from the unnecessary panic by govt. & unwarranted response by NUEE. Allah ya kiyaye.
It’s quite unfortunate that the PHCN are not responsible. The deployment of military is to safegurd and protect their life’s. But, maybe because of their hidden agenda which may be affected, they decided to enbark on a needless strike. May God help us in this country!
Pls govnt. should negociate with the PHCN workers to call off the strike. We are tired of black-out in Nigeria.
PHCN is not serious, they should not even bother to resume work, bcos there’s no different btw their srike and existence. They should tell us their hidding agenda 4 rejecting soldiers. Very unserious people with no vision.