Members of the organised labour have started picketing the offices of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and distribution companies (DisCos)’s premises nationwide over the hike in electricity tariff.

The action of the workers follows a joint directive from the leadership of both the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) at weekend to their members to picket these offices in protests of the tariff hike.

“We write to inform you of the picketing action scheduled to take place in the offices of the NERC and Electricity Distribution companies (DISCOS) in all states, including the FCT,” the unions said in a joint statement by NLC’s Ag General Secretary Chris Uyot and his TUC counterpart Anka Hassan

“The action will jointly take place on Monday, 13th of May, 2024 nationwide simultaneously.

Therefore, the two Labour centres are directed to work together to carry out this important action. While counting on your usual cooperation, kindly accept the assurances of our goodwill and highest regards.”

As early as 7AM on Monday, members of the labour unions blocked the main gate of the distribution company located in the Kaduna State capital amidst tight security.
Staff of the company were prevented from going into the premises as the protesting union members demand for the reversal of the tariff hike.

In Kwara State, the union members blocked the entrance of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company in the state capital Ilorin.

Led by the state chairman of the NLC, gate of the company was locked and the staff were prevented from gaining access into their offices as early as eight 8AM on Monday morning.

The chairman of the NLC, Saheed Olayinka, said the hike in tariff has been having negative effects on the populace and asked the Federal Government to reverse it.

The picketing, he added, will continue until the demands of the reversal is met.

The union members, who were carrying placards with different inscriptions and singing solidarity songs, stationed themselves around the premises while the workers of the DisCo sat patiently awaiting further directive.

Similarly, in Akure, the Ondo State capital, some members of the TUC shut the Head office of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC). They gathered at the front of the company’s office protesting the electricity tariff hike.

From Sylvia Udegbunam, Enugu

The Commissioner for transport Enugu State, Dr Obi Ozor have said that Enugu State government will complete the proposed site for the Enugu State central Station dual terminal park in 12 months, adding that Peter Mbah administration has also compensated the 29 legal tenants of railway cooperation along holy ghost axis where the terminal will be constructed.

The Commissioner speaking with the Journalists in Enugu during an inspection at the proposed site informed them that Enugu State government had reached an agreement with Nigerian railway and federal ministry of transportation to lease the place for the construction of the proposed terminal. He noted that work will commence in the terminal this month and will be completed and delivered in 12 months.According to him, the Enugu State government started this Journey since September 2023 and the government has engaged all the stakeholders from the ditch crushers to the Agberos, to the legal tenants and to the federal government. Notices were given on 13th October 2023 and after 7 months, the government has come to clear the place for immediate commencement of the terminals.””Compensation has been paid to the legal tenants, and some tenants have not submitted their accounts to railway, because some of them believe they are above the law or that government cannot do work for the benefit of the people. “I believe that after yesterday’s action, they will reach out to railway and will submit their account for immediate payment.He pointed out that the government since last year prepared befitting relocation site at new market and old UNTH for the motherless babies. “We have made all arrangements and they have a committee responsible for allocating spaces to different transporters”.”We are also building the same type of terminal in Garriki, Abakpa and in Nsukka making it for phase 1 of the transport infrastructural project. The phase 2 will now be looking at places like nine mile and other critical places. So the government wants to build this infrastructures in an equitable manner to drive efficiency, affordability and sustainability of transportation sector in Enugu. The management of this will be driven by private sector for sustainability.Former Chairman, Ezeagu local government area also former Special Adviser to the former governor, Hon Fred Ezinwa in an interview with Journalists commended Governor Peter Mba for embarking on this project saying that it takes a Governor with political will to do that.”What he is building here is an edifice, a legacy project that will outlive him. It had dual advantage, by giving a massive security in Enugu. If you have a central park anchoring all the vehicle coming to Enugu, you will know who came in to Enugu and who left Enugu. The economy of Enugu will be consolidated in terms of IGR.

From Jude Dangwam, Jos

The Director of Administration/Acting Director General of the Plateau State Bureau of Public Procurement (PSBPP) Yabilsu Dogo has decried that lack of mobility has affected the procurement agency from effective monitoring of awarded contracts in the State.He said the Agency which is responsible for the issuance of certificate of no objections to contractors is central in the monitoring of contracts being executed to meet specification and quality is in dear need of attention for optimal results.

Dogo made this outcry when he received members of the “Community Frontline Advocates” on the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with the Open Contracting Partnership (OCP) implemented by Accountability Lab Nigeria in Plateau State.”When I came here, I asked whether this is a government office or not. There is no official vehicle in this agency, including a bus for monitoring work, this over the years affects the quality of work contractors carried out across the state.”The building is about to collapse you can see cracks everywhere, there is no functional toilets, the small environment is sitting on a waterlogged area and during rainy season water keeps coming out of every office from the ground, you wouldn’t want to be here in the rainy season.” he lamentedHe added, “The Governor has approved an official vehicle for us which will be delivered to us in no distance time. And some releases were made for the running of the office that is how we were able to fix two toilets in this office. But we still need a bus for monitoring, without a bus we can’t function as expected of the Bureau,” he emotionally statedThe Bureau of Public Procurement has in the last one year of the Mutfwang administration has issued over 100 certificate of no objections to contractors executing contracts across the state.The Agency is said to have recorded above 21 million naira generated as revenue through registration of contractors who are ready to do business with the state.The team of Community Frontline Advocates led by Mr Derek Nanman Gono said the team is at the Agency on a familiarization visit in other to strengthen the quest for open contracting in the state towards accountability and good governance to citizens of Plateau State.He disclosed that the team will be embarking on projects monitoring and urged the agency to upload more projects so far completed on the Open Contracting Portal to easy tracking.Gono reiterated that the team is focusing on two key areas for the monitoring project, covering the health sector and the educational sector across the state respectively.