Power restoration in FCT, Niger, Kaduna, Kogi imminent as AEDC workers call off strike

POWER restoration at Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) franchise areas is imminent as the labour union and relevant government agencies sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to suspend the industrial action.

The AEDC franchise areas are the Federal Capital Territory, Kogi, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Niger states.

The suspension of the industrial action followed an expansive meeting between the leadership of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and key officials of the Federal Government.

According to the document seen by The ICIR, the officials of the Federal Government that committed to the MoU to suspend the industrial action included: Director-General of Bureau for Public Enterprises Alex Okoh and the Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) Sanusi Garba.

Others were: Alex Olebe representing the Ministry of labour, and the Minister of State for Power Goddy Jeddy Agba.

The officials signed on behalf of the union. They were led by Godfrey Aba, who is the chairman of the union in the FCT Council.

The industrial action embarked upon by the NUEE was caused by an unresolved dispute between the union and the management of AEDC over unpaid entitlements.

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Following the MOU, the respective parties agreed that, “the government intervened with the firms arrangement to ensure the payment of the outstanding entitlement of AEDC staff within 21 days counting from the day of the signing of the MoU.

“Both parties agreed that based on the foregoing, the industrial action is suspended.”

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), which has earlier decried the inability to evacuate power following the industrial action, said it would now be able to effectively evacuate power owing to the suspended strike.