Nigerian electricity workers under the umbrella of the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) have threatened to shut down electricity operations nationwide following the alleged assault, arrest and humiliation of 10 of their members by personnel of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) in Bauchi State.
The union issued a three-day ultimatum to the relevant authorities on Monday, demanding urgent action over the incident and warning that failure to address the matter could lead to a nationwide disruption of electricity services.
The National Deputy President of SSAEAC, Rilwanu Shehu, disclosed the ultimatum during a protest in Bauchi over the alleged invasion of the Jos Electricity Distribution (JED) operational office and arrest of its employees by NAF personnel.
According to Shehu, the incident occurred on September 18 after JED disconnected electricity supply to the NAF quarters located along the Ningi-Kano Road over alleged unpaid electricity bills.
He said the electricity distribution company had notified the relevant NAF authorities before carrying out the disconnection.
However, Shehu alleged that NAF personnel subsequently stormed the JED operational office and arrested 10 workers, who were allegedly assaulted before being taken to an undisclosed location.
He further alleged that some of the affected workers were still receiving medical treatment as a result of injuries sustained during the incident.
“We are scared, we are not safe and cannot continue with our activities,” Shehu said.
“We give benefit of doubt to the security operatives, the police and DSS to intervene and resolve the matter amicably. We will ground the activities of the electricity industry in the entire nation if nothing is done to the NAF men who assaulted our staff.”
Shehu said the three-day ultimatum commenced on September 21 and would expire on September 23, stressing that the union expected the authorities to intervene before the deadline.
He warned that the union would pursue all available legal avenues in its quest for justice while insisting that electricity workers must be allowed to carry out their official responsibilities without intimidation, harassment or threats to their safety.
“We will not tolerate any act of injustice, intimidation or harassment against our members,” he said.
The development has already resulted in a withdrawal of services by electricity workers in Bauchi, with the Bauchi branch chairman of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Sikamta Mshelinga, disclosing that workers in the state had been directed to remain at home pending further instructions from the national leadership.
The directive has heightened concerns over the possibility of a wider industrial action across the electricity sector if the dispute is not resolved before the expiration of the ultimatum.
The threatened action could potentially affect electricity operations beyond Bauchi, as the SSAEAC has warned that failure to address the alleged assault and arrest of its members would result in the grounding of electricity industry activities across the country.
Earlier, leaders of SSAEAC and NUEE, alongside officials of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts Workers’ Union (RATTAWU), met with the Bauchi Commissioner of Police and the state Director of the Department of State Services (DSS) over the incident.
During the meeting, the labour leaders formally reported the alleged assault and arrest of the electricity workers and appealed to the security agencies to intervene in the dispute.
The unions called for an amicable resolution of the matter and urged the authorities to take steps to guarantee the safety of electricity workers carrying out their statutory and operational duties.
The labour unions also maintained that the dispute should be resolved through dialogue and lawful channels, while demanding appropriate action over the alleged treatment of the affected workers.
With the September 23 deadline approaching, attention is now focused on the response of the relevant authorities and whether the dispute will be resolved before the electricity workers proceed with the threatened nationwide industrial action.