NLC, TUC strike cuts power supply in Nigeria’s south-east

The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) says the ongoing nationwide strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress has disrupted electricity supply in the south-east region.

Other parts of the country, including the capital Abuja and Lagos, have also experienced blackouts.

Nigeria’s two biggest labour unions, NLC and TUC, commenced an indefinite strike on Tuesday after the NLC national president, Joe Ajaero, was physically attacked by state-backed thugs in Imo state.

Ajaero said he was in the state to mobilize workers ahead of last weekend’s governorship election but was arrested by the police who then handed him over to thugs. He was beaten, dragged on the ground and left with injuries.

The two unions are calling for the prosecution of the attackers, including police officers who allowed the assault.

As the strike began on Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu’s office released a statement calling the strike “irresponsible and illegal”. But on Wednesday, national security adviser Nuhu Ribadu claimed some of the attackers had been arrested, and appealed to the unions to return to work.

A meeting between the government and the unions on Wednesday failed to end the strike.

Picketing

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that a taskforce of the NLC and the TUC picketed the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) stations, where they forced workers to shut down.

The head of corporate communications of EEDC, Emeka Ezeh, said in a statement on Wednesday that all of Enugu, Ebonyi, and Anambra states and Umuahia district in Abia State were without electricity.

According to him, currently, only Nru TCN Station, Nsukka, fed from Otukpo axis is receiving supply.

““We are aware of the inconveniences this development has caused our customers and plead for their understanding, as the situation is beyond us,” he said.

In Abuja, power was only restored at night on Tuesday and Wednesday.