By Victor Ahiuma-Young
The National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, has dismissed allegations against the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and its General Secretary, Joe Ajaero, over the privatisation of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, describing the claims as a witch-hunt intended to discredit organised labour.
The union, in a statement by its Acting General- Secretary, Dominic Igwebike, said the allegations, published by an online platform and attributed to a former PHCN manager, were false and failed to reflect the role played by labour unions in negotiating workers’ entitlements during the Power sector privatisation.
According to NUEE, Ajaero consistently opposed the privatisation of the Power sector under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, warning that the exercise would transfer public assets to investors without the financial and technical capacity to improve electricity supply.
It argued that more than a decade after the exercise, Nigeria continues to grapple with poor electricity supply, repeated national grid collapses and increasing tariffs, insisting that these developments have vindicated the union’s position.
