Ahead of the five-day warning strike directed by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to commence from midnight of Sunday in Kaduna, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has knocked off all the 33KV lines in Kaduna State in compliance with the directive.
The total blackout occurred from midnight on Saturday following an earlier warning by the National Union of Electricity Employees that it had been directed by the NLC to join the warning strike.
Daily Trust reports that the NLC has commenced mobilising its affiliates to ensure a total economic shutdown of Kaduna State as part of efforts to force the government of Malam Nasir El-Rufai to rescind its policy of the sack of workers.
El-Rufai had on Saturday said his government would not bow to blackmail and insisted that it was not sustainable to spend 84 per cent to 96 per cent of its federal allocation on salaries and personnel costs.
The Kaduna State Government had stressed that it had been subjected to a campaign of lies, misrepresentation and false claims that its rightsizing exercise affected 4,000 workers and that it had stopped paying the minimum wage.
However, in a statement issued by the management of Kaduna Electric on Sunday, the company told its customers in Kaduna State that the service interruption as of Sunday was a result of the industrial action embarked upon by the NLC.
POWER FAILURE DUE TO NLC’s INDUSTRIAL ACTION.
The Management of Kaduna Electric regrets to inform its customers in Kaduna State that the service interruption currently being experienced in the State is as a result of the industrial action embarked upon @NERCNG @GovKaduna by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC).
In compliance with the NLC directive, the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN has knocked off all our 33KV lines in Kaduna State.
Consequently, we are appealing to all communities, security agencies and vigilante groups to be vigilant so that men of underworld will not cash in on the situation to vandalise power supply installations.
Any suspicious movement around distribution sub-stations (transformers) should be reported to the relevant security agency.
We have the collective responsibility to protect these critical national assets in our neighborhood.
We once again appeal to both parties in the dispute to strive at an amicable resolution for normalcy to return.
Signed:
Abdulazeez Abdullahi
Head, Corporate Communication.
16/05/2021.
