PHED Restores Electricity In Four States …As Labour Suspends Strike

L-R: Chief Operator Officer, Oando Marketing, Mr Yomi Awobokun; Chairman of the Occasion, Mr Deji Haastrup; Managing Director, Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc., Mr Tunji Oyebanji and Managing Director, Nipco Plc, Mr Venkataranan Venkatapathy, at 2015 National Association of Energy Correspondents (Naec) Conference in Lagos on Thursday (20/8/15).

The blackout that had en
gulfed the four states covered by the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) for about four days following the protest by workers was called off Friday, and consequently, electricity supply was restored in Rivers, Cross River, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom States.
The protest which began last Monday in Cross River and later spread to the other three states resulted in sealing off of the offices of PHED.
Amongst reasons given by the protesting workers, were arbitrary dismissal, slave labour and the anti-unionism of  PHED management.
The National Union of Electricity Employees, (NUEE) had directed its members to down tools until the management resolved vexing issues.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) later joined its NUEE affiliate on a sympathy protest to picket PHED offices in the four states.
A factional leader of NLC in Rivers State, Comrade Adah Williams who led the protest said workers would not return to their duty posts until management of PHED took steps to address the alleged welfare issues.
It would be recalled hat NUEE in the State had given a 14-day ultimatum to management of the company, which was not heeded.
Particularly in Rivers, the company management was accused of arbitrarily sacking indigenes of the State and Bayelsa and replacing them with their kinsmen from other states.
The workers had sent their protest message to the Rivers State House of Assembly, urging the House to intervene.
Luckily, the protest was called off Friday as the unions and management of the company agreed to continue negotiation while workers returned to their duty posts.
Consumers who reacted to the protest which led to a total blackout expressed mixed feelings particularly with the timing of the protest.
Chief Chiedu Benson, a resident of Ojoto Street in Mile III, Diobu, Port Harcourt said, “I support that workers welfare should be treated with all seriousness, but the protest ironically came at a time we have seen remarkable improvement in power supply.
“We, I mean customers, were celebrating the huge improvement by PHED, but the workers strike chose to begin that time. It was a big irony,” said Benson.
Another respondent, Maxwell Lawson also regretted that the strike came at a time consumers were all happy and expressed hope that the strike was called off days after it began and commended the union leaders and the management of the power firm for resolving the issue.

Chris Oluoh