The licence of Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KAEDC) should be withdrawn, according to protesting workers who have already picketed the entrance of the company.
The workers, under the aegis of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), blocked the entrance to the company’s headquarters in Kaduna on Tuesday, preventing other staff members and customers from gaining access to the premises.
The workers’ demands include payment of six years’ unremitted pensions, payment of the death benefits of deceased staff members of the company, payment of exit package and reversal of unjust disengagement of seven staff of the company in Zaria.
They are also kicking against an alleged plan to sack over 1,000 workers of the company.
Speaking with Channels Television during the protest, the Organising Secretary, North West, NUEE, Ayuba Pukat, said: “We are out here to exercise our right as workers of Kaduna Electric because of so many issues on the ground which have to do with our staff welfare.
“The pension deducted from our staff was not remitted for over 72 months, and staff are still working. If you go to your pension managers, they will tell you your company did not remit. This is a criminal offence, and Kaduna Electric’s licence should be seized.
“This means that staff are being paid half their salaries, yet the rest is not being remitted to their pension managers.
“Again, some Zaria staff’s employment were unlawfully terminated last year as a result of malfunctioning of the power equipment, leading to the electrocution of 14 residents in Southern Zaria. The staff were asked to leave without a fair hearing.
“We are here to express our dissatisfaction to the management staff regarding our welfare.
“We don’t have enough equipment to work, yet we keep getting threats upon threats. They also employed MOPOL to send us out from the premises as we protest, but we won’t leave here until we have registered our grouse.”
Meanwhile, the Head of Corporate Communications at Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, Abdulazeez Abdullahi, described the strike by NUEE as uncalled for, adding that it is detrimental to the company’s health.
He appealed to the workers to reconsider their stand and suspend the strike so that all business activities could return to their former status.
“We woke up this morning to the news that members of NUEE have locked up our offices. We were shocked because there was no need for it. We have a quarterly meeting scheduled for Wednesday. They have told us about the pension remittances, and there is a plan to settle the backlogs,” he said.
“We have a new MD, and he needs time to settle down and then plan on how to gradually offset the historical liabilities. But they chose to do this and have stopped staff and customers from coming in.
“This is illegal, and we think this is unnecessary. We know the company is not in a good place right now, but the new MD has promised to turn the company around. We need all hands to be on deck so that we can forge a way forward for the company.”
In January, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), approved the appointment of Dr Umar Abubakar Hashidu as the administrator of KAEDC.