Electricity workers under the aegis of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) have disclosed that privatisation of the power sector in the country has failed.
The workers made this disclosure on Monday.
The workers, who spoke at a press conference in Ibadan on Monday, called on the present government led by President Muhammadu Buhari to reverse the privatisation of the power sector.
Assistant General Secretary, Western Zone of NUEE, Comrade Modupeoluwa Akinola, while addressing journalists on behalf of his colleagues, explained that privatisation of the power sector has negative consequences on workers and members of the public.
Akinola, while speaking, further added that the union had, before the privatisation of the power sector, kicked against the privatisation of the sector.
He alleged that privatisation will always seek to protect and defend the profit interest of the business owners against the general interest of the people.
He said, “Power privatisation has failed. We of the electricity workers under the aegis of the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, Western zone decide to organise this press conference to draw the attention of the general public to the age-long position of our great union on the privatisation of the power sector, its attendant consequences and the basis for an unrelented defense and protection of members of our union.
“Our union rejects the planned privitisation of the TCN, demands a full renationalisation of the power sector under a democratic control of a board that includes the representatives of workers and consumers, and holds that no amount of intimidation, falsehood including misrepresentation of facts can deter us from continuing to express our opposition to the privatisation of the power sector in defense of the interest of our members and the people.
“Gentlemen of the press, it will interest you to know that, prior to the eventual privatisation of the power sector in 2013, our union was at the forefront of several agitations and campaigns which included street protests, town hall meetings, symposia and picketings organised by mass of Nigerian people to stop and halt the then move for the privitisation exercise.
“Our opposition to the privatisation policy was informed by our understanding and conviction that privatisation will always seek to protect and defend the profit interest of the business owners against the general interest of the people for affordable and regular electricity.
This has no doubt been confirmed by the daily agony and pain being experienced by our members and Nigerian people since privatisation of the power sector over 9 years ago”.
Source: dailypost.ng
