Electricity workers in Nigeria, under the aegis of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), have shut down the national grid, thereby throwing the nation into darkness.
This is coming after appeals by the Minister of State for Power, Goddy Jedy-Agba, and the managing director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Sule Abdulaziz, to the union to suspend their proposed strike fell on deaf ears.
LEADERSHIP checks indicated that the national grid was shut down around 11.30am on Wednesday.
Chairman of the Abuja chapter of NUEE, Comrade Godfrey Abah, confirmed the development to LEADERSHIP.
Speaking via telephone with LEADERSHIP, Abah said “Yesterday (Tuesday) we were on a warning strike, today we have shut down. Shutting down means we have withdrawn our services. The issues we are pressing for have not been addressed.”
He, however, said the Minister of Power, Engr. Abubakar Aliyu, has scheduled a meeting with leaders of the association by 4pm on Wednesday.
Checks on the national grid showed that only 939.40 megawatts of power was generated as at 3pm on Wednesday afternoon and eventually by 3.01pm, the national grid was completely shut down.
However, sources in Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) confirmed that no power was transmitted to them for distribution.
