NLC kicks against deployment of army to PHCN facilities

[DT]

Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has urged the Federal Government to withdraw armed soldiers posted to occupy the corporate headquarters of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) in Abuja and some of its offices across the country.  President of the NLC Comrade Omar Abdulwahed made the call yesterday in Kaduna State as he kicked off this year's annual harmattan school for unionists drawn from across the country.

The call followed the planned deployment of soldiers to assist the police in guarding the PHCN facilities across the nation.

The deployment, according to informed sources, was sequel to recent advice by the intelligence community to the Nigerian government to enhance security at "critical infrastructural facilities in the country" as a result of the threat to security by the Boko Haram sect.

Omar said "the Labour movement demands that the Jonathan Administration withdraws the armed soldiers it sent this morning to occupy the corporate Headquarters of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), the Katampe, Wuse Zone 4 and Apo Transmission Stations in Abuja, the Olorunsogo centre, Ondo State, Ayede, the Egbin Power Station, the National Control Centre, Oshogbo and the Oshogbo Work Centre.

"The militarization of the electricity centres is an impotent and vain attempt by Government to force the deregulation of the PHCN.  As you might know, there are on-going negotiations between the Federal Government and Electricity Workers on Power reform in the country.  The next round of negotiations is scheduled to hold on November 22, 2011.

"To send armed soldiers to occupy electricity installations is therefore a calculated attempt to stall the negotiations and impose a pre-determined solution that will see the power sector sold as scrap to serving ministers and other cronies of the Federal Government.  The industrial relations system must be made to work rather than government and employers resorting to brute force.

The Minister of Power, Professor Bart Nnaji, was on Sunday night informed of the Federal Government's decision to deploy troops to protect the facilities and the workers, according to his Special Adviser, Mr. C. Don Adinuba.

He told Daily Trust that "the minister has accordingly informed the PHCN Chief Executive, Engineer Hussein Labo, and the CEOs of the 18 PHCN successor companies, as well as other stakeholders including the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies and the National Union of Electricity Employees of the development."

DailyTrust