Electricity workers threaten service withdrawal over insecurity

By COLLINS OLAYINKA, Abuja

The epileptic power supply in the country may worsen if a threat by electricity workers to withdraw their services over insecurity in the country is carried out.

In a statement to mark Workers’ Day in Abuja, General Secretary of National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Joe Ajaero, lamented rising death of members of the union in the course of doing their work.

“The safety of our workers who carry out maintenance works and man the stations in these restive areas is seriously threatened as some run into dens of bandits and kidnappers while navigating the bushes to repair and maintain faulty lines.

“Should this alarming rate of insecurity continue in the next few weeks, with the devastating effect on our members, we may not have any option than to withdraw our members from further exposure to security threats, which has taken many lives already,” he said.

The union berated the decision of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to stockpile revenues collected by Distribution Companies (Discos), saying the step would serve as a disincentive to investment inflow into the power sector.

According to Ajaero, the CBN’s decision is responsible for epileptic payment of workers salaries.  (The Guardian)