Imo State was plunged into darkness on Thursday, November 2, following a directive by the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) to halt all electricity services. This drastic measure was taken in response to the brutal attack on Joe Ajaero, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), in Imo state on Wednesday, November 1.
The NUEE’s statement read as follows:
“Following the heinous assault on our fellow comrades and the abduction of the NLC President by the Imo State Governor and the state’s police force on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, we are initiating a nationwide shutdown if the NLC President is not released and the Nigerian Government provides a satisfactory explanation.
“All NUEE executives at the national, state, and chapter levels are urged to mobilize our members in full compliance with this directive. The withdrawal of electricity services across the nation will commence at 12:00 AM on Thursday, November 2, 2023.
“We cannot continue to work while the NLC President is in custody, and we cannot stand idly by as the rights of workers in Imo State are flagrantly violated. The strength and integrity of our union are at stake, and we implore everyone to adhere to this directive.”
Imo State witnessed the actualization of this directive on Thursday, November 2, as confirmed by a letter signed by Dominic Igwebike, the Acting Secretary of the NUEE.
The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, is currently hospitalized, and reports suggest he is battling to save his right eye after the violent events that unfolded on Wednesday, November 1.
Background:
The abduction of Joe Ajaero occurred as he and other NLC leaders, in conjunction with the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), gathered at the State Secretariat in Owerri. They were preparing to initiate a planned protest on Thursday, November 2, and a potential strike due to various grievances against the Imo State government.
These grievances encompass unpaid salaries, pending allowances, and the alleged mistreatment of workers by the state government. The Imo State government, led by Governor Hope Uzodinma, has faced numerous accusations, including reneging on prior agreements, withholding salary payments, falsely categorizing workers as “ghost employees,” destroying the NLC state secretariat, engaging in unequal pay practices, and neglecting pensioners.
Other allegations against the state government include non-compliance with the National Minimum Wage, harassment of trade union leaders, utilization of violence and intimidation tactics, mismanagement of union funds, categorizing pensioners as non-existent employees, systematic intimidation of the workforce, and reluctance to engage in meaningful dialogues.
The situation in Imo State remains tense as the NUEE’s electricity service shutdown continues, and calls for the release of the NLC President intensify.
