Electricity unions to suspend services over army brutality
Disturbed by the increasing spate of attacks on its members, the leadership of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) have threatened to withdraw their services, especially in locations where any of its members is attacked.
According to the FCT chairmen of both unions, the decision follows the recent incident where a soldier identified as Corporal Ibrahim Auta NA07NA2672 of the 266 Light Battalion was accused of brutalising Khadijat Umar, a staff of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).
Daily Times gathered that Auta is currently assisting the police in Mararaba, Nasarawa state to unravel the circumstances that led him to assault the AEDC female staff, causing her bodily harm.
In their separate reactions, the FCT Chairman of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Godfrey Abah and the FCT Branch President of the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC), Leticia Ejendu, said reports reaching them have shown an increase in attacks on their members, describing such attacks as unlawful, unwarranted and provocative.
“Our members cannot work round the clock to provide electricity only for them to be beaten up and severely injured by some few misguided elements in the society when we go back to request payment for the services rendered.
“We have told management that if in future this is allowed to happen again, our workers will have to take appropriate lawful steps to protect themselves,” the union leaders declared.
Meanwhile, the AEDC management has directed its legal department to speedily institute a civil suit and pursue criminal proceedings against the army corporal, customs officer and three other persons who have in the last few weeks, assaulted AEDC staff in order to serve as a deterrent to others.
According to eyewitness accounts, which were corroborated by Corporal Auta, Khadijat Umar was on a house to house routine revenue recovery exercise with other colleagues when they found out that the house where Corporal Auta lives which was earlier disconnected had been reconnected.
Upon interrogation at the police station, Corporal Auta admitted that the AEDC team came to his place and upon their arrival, his attention was drawn to their presence in his neighbourhood.
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When he came out, he saw that the AEDC ladder was resting on the electric pole in front of his house, disclosing that there ensured an argument over the issue of illegal reconnection and the decision of the AEDC staff to disconnect his house for outstanding debt and illegal reconnection, resulted in him slapping the AEDC female staff.
READ ALSO: However, AEDC staff at the scene of the incident, reported informed the police that Corporal Auta apart from slapping their colleague also brutalized her by flogging her with his army belt.
According to them, when they arrived at Corporal Auta’s house and discovered that the house has been reconnected, rather than produce his evidence of payment, the army corporal entered his house, came out with his army belt and flogged Khadijat with it.
