Power sector privatisation marred by grand corruption, says Ajaero
The General Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Comrade Joe Ajaero has said that the privatisation in power sector was not meant to succeed, but to fail due to the fact that the move has remained unchecked for two decades.
Comrade Ajaero disclosed this at the 6th Quadrennial/11th National Delegates’ Conference in Lagos, tagged, Conference of Restoration.
He said that the fight against privatisation in the power sector is not only a fight to stop the sale of public services; it is also a struggle to make communities and economy more equitable.
“It was more of a cliché and context for grand corruption as it has gone unchecked for two decades.”
“Let the ministers of power and others tell Nigerians the situation in the power sector.
“Let them tell us that in the next six months, this is what we should expect and in the next one year, this is what will happen. Let them tell us the short, medium and long term plans for the power sector and how they want to achieve them.”
Ajaero explained that the struggle for the emancipation of workers in the power sector has continued with more intensity following the recent shut down of the sector on 11th of December.
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“The action became inevitable due to the lacklustre attitude of employers in our sector towards the plight of the workforce.
“It is on record that the power sector was privatized and handed over to the new owners on November 1, 2013. As at today six years after, about two thousand (2,000) severed staff has not been paid their severance benefits among other demands.”
He further explained that, “We had made representations to the Director General, Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE), who has been paying lip service to the issue.
Recall, that the nationwide industrial action was suspended by electricity workers on December 12 after the union reached an agreement with the Federal Government at a meeting with senior government officials.
However, the union expressed concern over the proposed, total deregulation of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry in Nigeria, saying it anti-workers and will have a debilitating effect on the masses of the country.
