The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) says the loss of electricity supply in the entire Imo State is a result of the industrial action by the organised labour union in the state.
This was contained in a statement by the EEDC’s Head, of Corporate Communications, Emeka Ezeh, on Thursday in Enugu, the Enugu State capital.
“EEDC wishes to inform its esteemed customers in Imo State that the loss of supply currently being experienced follows the industrial action by organised labour unions in Imo State.
“This led to the union shutting down our source of supply at Egbu Transmission Station, leaving us with no energy to distribute to our customers.
“As a result of this development, the whole of Imo State is without electricity supply,” he said.
He added: “We appreciate the inconveniences this situation must have caused our customers, and we hope that the issue will be resolved soon.”
The EEDC spokesperson, however, assured the good people of Imo that the company is on standby to restore supply once the industrial action is called off.
“EEDC is committed to improving its processes and delivering improved services to its esteemed customers,” he added.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said it would begin protests in Imo State from 1 November over the alleged violation and abuse of rights and privileges of workers by the state government.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had called on workers in Imo State to embark on a state-wide strike on 1 November.
While declaring the strike on Sunday, the president of NLC, Joe Ajaero, said the industrial action was in protest against “the persistent and egregious violations of the rights and privileges of workers in Imo State by the State Government.”
“Despite our repeated efforts to engage in constructive dialogue and reach amicable agreements, the Imo State Government has become a habitual and serial breaker of these agreements, continuing to trample on the rights of workers in the state.
“As a result, we are left with no choice but to embark on mass protests and industrial actions beginning on the 1st day of November 2023,” Mr Ajaero said.
There was uproar in the state, on Wednesday, the day the strike and industrial action were to begin, with some thugs and police officers reportedly attacking Mr Ajaero and other members of the NLC who had assembled at the union’s council secretariat ahead of their planned protest in the state.
The national leadership of the NLC later alleged that Mr Ajaero was arrested by police operatives in the state.
The union also accused the state governor, Mr Uzodinma of mobilising the thugs and the officers to attack and arrest the NLC president to frustrate the planned protest in the state.
But the police later denied arresting Mr Ajaero, saying they only placed him in protective custody to shield him from attack by the thugs.
On his part, Governor Hope Uzodinma, who is seeking reelection in the upcoming poll in the state, blamed Mr Ajaero for his alleged partisanship in the state.
“What has happened in this ugly coincidence is that the national president of the Nigeria Labour Congress is from Imo state and has not been able to demarcate the difference between being a national leader of an organisation and then an interested party in local politics,” Mr Uzodinma said at the presidential villa on Thursday in Abuja after receiving the flag of his party, the All Progressives Congress, from President Bola Tinubu, as a mark of endorsement for the governor’s reelection bid..…CONTINUE.FULL.READING>>>
