- Safiu Kehinde
The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has called out the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) over alleged involvement in the sacking of the Managing Director of an undisclosed Electricity Distribution Company (DisCo).
This was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the NLC President, Joe Ajaero.
The NLC boss had, in to the statement, faulted the NERC for contributing the collapse of Nigeria’s power sector with its incompetence.
This was as he slammed the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, over his N8 billion demand for sensitization exercise amid the surge of persistent power grid collapse and vandalization.
While condemning the Minister, Ajaero also pointed accused fingers at NERC for failure in discharging its responsibilities despite the enormous power invested on it by the Electricity act of 2023.
He alleged that rather than ensuring transparency and efficiency in the sector, NERC colluded with an undisclosed DisCo in sacking it Managing Director for exposing unethical practices in the company.
“The Power sector in Nigeria is at the brink of collapse as the helmsmen have repeatedly shown gross incompetence.
“It is a sector where the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) despite the enormous power invested on it by the Electricity act of 2023 has continuously demonstrated incapacity to regulate or outrightly refused to discharge its responsibilities to electricity consumers in Nigeria while the Minister in charge is enamored with seeking about N8billion (Eight Billion Naira) to teach Nigerians how to pay electricity bill.
“It is therefore not surprising that power grid collapse is now a constant as it has continued to succumb to greed and crass incompetence.
“It is unimaginable that NERC colluded with deafening silence With the Board of one of the DISCOs to sack its Managing Director for exposing the unethical practices in the DISCO.
“Whistle blowing as far as NERC is concerned has become an offense so, instead of an organization that is supposed to reward and protect a whistleblower, it rather connived to punish and sack the official.
“This is an Organisation that is saddled with ensuring transparency and efficient running of the Electricity sector but chose the contrary.
“NERC is therefore telling Nigerians that it is not prepared to discharge its mandate and has thus failed woefully which explains the shamble in the sector.” The NLC boss wrote.
Ajaero earlier in the statement charged Adelabu to resign over his admittance of the recurrence of power failure.
He alo disclosed how NLC had intercepted the Ministry from further awarding of contract as it owed the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) over N200 billion.
“Whereas the Minister seeks N8 billion (Eight Billion Naira) to educate us, contractors in the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) who help in delivering capacity are owed over N200 billion (Two Hundred Billion Naira).
“If not for the intervention of the Unions in the sector in December. 2024, the procurement Committee would have added to this burden by sitting down to award more contracts. We are truly surprised at where the priorities of the leadership of the sector lay.
“If the Ministry of Power is manned by competent officials, the now embarrassing constant grid collapse would have been averted instead of the worrying statement by the Minister that this will continue as if this has always been the norm.
“We believe that this is a clear admission of incapacity and failure by the Ministry and we wonder why they would not do the honourable thing by resigning.
“It has to be noted that the number of times the national Grid has collapsed under these helmsmen is more than all the previous leaders in the history of our nation combined.
“Rather than the garrulous remarks, Nigerians expect more seriousness in handling their affairs.” Ajaero wrote.