Electricity workers have threatened to shut down operations across Nigeria if authorities fail to address the alleged assault, arrest and harassment of 10 staff members of the Jos Electricity Distribution Company by personnel of the Nigerian Air Force in Bauchi State.
The Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies issued a three-day ultimatum to the authorities, demanding action over the incident.
Rilwanu Shehu, National Deputy President of SSAEAC, disclosed this on Monday during a protest in Bauchi over the alleged invasion of the JED operational office and arrest of its workers by NAF personnel.
“We are scared, we are not safe and cannot continue with our activities,” Shehu said.
He said the ultimatum would run from September 21 to September 23, warning that the union would ground activities across the electricity sector if no action was taken.
“We give benefit of doubt to the security operatives, the police and DSS to intervene and resolve the matter amicably. We will ground the activities of the electricity industry in the entire nation if nothing is done to the NAF men who assaulted our staff.”
According to Shehu, the incident occurred on September 18 after NAF personnel allegedly invaded the JED office in Bauchi following the disconnection of electricity supply to the NAF quarters along the Ningi-Kano Road over unpaid electricity bills.
The SSAEAC president said JED had notified the NAF authorities before disconnecting the power supply.
Shehu alleged that the NAF personnel arrested 10 electricity workers and assaulted them before taking them to an undisclosed location.
He added that some of the affected workers were receiving medical treatment following the alleged maltreatment.
The union leader said SSAEAC would pursue all available legal channels to protect its members and seek justice over the incident.
“We will not tolerate any act of injustice, intimidation or harassment against our members,” he said.
Sikamta Mshelinga, Bauchi branch chairman of the National Union of Electricity Employees, said electricity workers in the state would remain at home and withdraw their services pending further directives from the national leadership.
Earlier, the leadership of SSAEAC and NUEE, accompanied by officials of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Nigeria Union of Journalists and Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts Workers’ Union, visited the Bauchi Commissioner of Police and the state Director of the Department of State Services.
The unions reported the incident to the security authorities and called for their intervention to resolve the dispute.
The threatened industrial action could affect electricity distribution operations nationwide if the ultimatum expires without an agreement between the unions and the authorities.
