NEWS
KEDC Faces Turmoil As Workers Stage Indefinite Strike
Tensions reached a boiling point at the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company as staff members launched an indefinite strike, protesting what they deem as unjust treatment and lingering industrial disputes with the company’s management.
The headquarters witnessed a disruptive scene on Tuesday morning, as members of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) brandished placards, blocking entry and leaving fellow staff and customers stranded outside.
Among the grievances aired during the protest were demands for six years’ worth of unremitted pension, non-payment of death benefits, delayed exit packages, alleged wrongful termination of seven Zaria-based employees, lack of essential resources for work, and rumors of imminent layoffs affecting over 1,000 workers.
Speaking during the protest, the Organising Secretary, North West, NUEE, Ayuba Pukat, said: “We are out here to exercise our right as workers of Kaduna Electric because of so many issues on the ground which have to do with our staff welfare.
“The pension deducted from our staff was not remitted for over 72 months, and staff are still working. If you go to your pension managers, they will tell you your company did not remit.
“This is a criminal offence, and the licence of Kaduna Electric should be seized. This means that staff are being paid half their salaries yet the rest is not being remitted to their pension managers.
“Again, some Zaria staff’s employments were unlawfully terminated last year as a result of malfunctioning of the power equipment in Zaria, leading to the electrocution of 14 residents in Southern Zaria.
“The staff were asked to leave without a fair hearing. We are here to express our dissatisfaction to the management staff regarding our welfare.
“We don’t have enough equipment to work, yet we keep getting threats upon threats. They also employed MOPOL to send us out from the premises as we protest, but we won’t leave here until we have registered our grouse.” he added
Abdulazeez Abdullahi, the Head of Corporate Communications at the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, denounced the NUEE strike as unwarranted and detrimental to the company’s well-being.
Abdullahi emphasized that the management had already initiated discussions with union leaders in an effort to address and resolve all outstanding industrial issues.
He earnestly appealed to the protesting workers, urging them to reconsider their stance and suspend the strike, emphasizing the importance of restoring normalcy to business activities.
He said “We woke up this morning to the news that members of NUEE have locked up our offices. We were shocked because there was no need for it. We have a quarterly meeting scheduled for Wednesday. They have told us about the pension remittances, and there is a plan to settle the backlogs.”
“We have a new MD, and he needs time to settle down and then plan on how to gradually offset the historical liabilities. But they chose to do this and have stopped staff and customers from coming in.
He added “This is illegal, and we think this is unnecessary. We know the company is not in a good place right now, but the new MD has promised to turn the company. We need all hands to be on deck so that we can forge a way forward for the company.”
President Bola Tinubu is currently hosting the 65th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Abuja.
The meeting, held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, is attended by dignitaries including the Diplomatic Corps.
Key agenda items include discussions on financing the standby force against terrorism and preventing unconstitutional changes of government.
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Another significant focus is maintaining the cohesion of ECOWAS, particularly as Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso have yet to fully reintegrate following their bans.
Olusegun Dada, Special Assistant to President Tinubu, shared footage on social media, stating, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR), President of Nigeria and Chairman of @ecowas_cedeao, hosts the 65th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Abuja.”
In a significant judicial appointment, Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, will officially swear in 12 judges to the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory on Wednesday, July 10, 2024.
The ceremony is scheduled for 10 am at the Main Courtroom of the Supreme Court.
Dr. Festus Akande, Director of Press and Information at the Supreme Court, disclosed this development in a statement on Sunday.
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Among the distinguished appointees is Ariwoola Oluwakemi Victoria, the daughter-in-law of the Chief Justice, adding a personal dimension to the event.
The full list of judges to be inaugurated is as follows:
– Ariwoola Oluwakemi Victoria (Oyo State)
– Ademuyiwa Olakunle Oyeyipo (Kwara State)
– Bamodu Odunayo Olutomi (Lagos State)
– Iheabunike Anumaenwe Godwin (Imo State)
– Odo Celestine Obinna (Enugu State)
– Hauwa Lawal Gummi (Zamfara State)
– Sarah Benjamin Inesu Avoh (Bayelsa State)
– Maryam Iye Yusuf (Kogi State)
– Buetnaan Mandy Bassi (Plateau State)
– Lesley Nkesi Belema Wike (Rivers State)
– Ibrahim Tanko Munirat (Bauchi State)
– Abdulrahman Usman (Taraba State)
This appointment follows the National Judicial Council’s recommendation on May 17, 2024, of 86 judicial officers for various federal and state courts nationwide.
Recall that these recommendations were made during the NJC’s 105th plenary meeting, which was held from May 15 to 16, 2024.
The swearing-in marks a notable step in reinforcing the judiciary and ensuring the delivery of justice across Nigeria.
The military regimes of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso have severed ties with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and officially formed a new alliance.
Niger’s ruling general announced the move during the inaugural summit of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) in Niamey on Saturday.
Niger’s General Abdourahamane Tiani at the summit, which saw the participation of the three nations’ leaders stated “our people have irrevocably turned their backs on ECOWAS”.
The AES was established after the countries withdrew from ECOWAS earlier this year.
In September, Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso signed a mutual defense pact, marking a significant shift in the region’s political landscape.
Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso left ECOWAS, citing accusations of Paris manipulating the bloc and insufficient support for anti-jihadist efforts.
“The AES is the only effective sub-regional grouping in the fight against terrorism,” Tiani stated on Saturday, highlighting ECOWAS’s “conspicuous lack of involvement in this fight.”
The exit marks a shift away from their former colonial ruler, France, with Tiani advocating for a new bloc that is a “community far removed from the stranglehold of foreign powers.”
All three nations have expelled French anti-jihadist troops, turning instead to their “sincere partners” — Russia, Turkey, and Iran.
Facing deadly jihadist violence, Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso will focus on “the fight against terrorism” and the “consolidation of cooperation” during Saturday’s agenda, according to the Burkinabe presidency.
ECOWAS is set to hold a summit of its heads of state in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, on Sunday, where relations with the AES is anticipaed to be a key topic.
After multiple bilateral meetings, the three Sahelian leaders are convening for the first time since seizing power through coups between 2020 and 2023.
In mid-May, the foreign ministers of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger met in Niamey to draft a text establishing the confederation, which the heads of state are set to adopt at Saturday’s summit.
Niger’s General Abdourahamane Tiani first received Burkinabe counterpart Ibrahim Traore in the capital on Friday, followed by Malian Colonel Assimi Goita on Saturday.
“Don’t expect many announcements; this is primarily a political event,” remarked Gilles Yabi, founder of the West African think tank Wathi. “The goal is to demonstrate that this is a serious project with three dedicated heads of state showing their solidarity.”
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