Ikeja Electric has said the picketing of its facilities by Labour Unions would make consumers experience long periods of darkness if disruptive protests persist.
It explained on
Tuesday that the poor supply of power currently being experienced by customers
on its network was as a result of the inability of the company’s technical
personnel to access Business Units, Undertakings Offices and sub stations
following the barricading of entrances and exits of all operational locations
within the Ikeja Electric Network.
The Unions, parading
as Citizens Access to Electricity Initiatives (CATEIN), and working in
collaboration with the Civil Society Group, had delivered a 15 point demand
list at the Corporate Headquarters of Ikeja Electric Alausa, Ikeja.
The group made up of
artisans, traders, shoemakers and ironsmiths, also included the immediate
re-instating of the 229 separated staff, who did not scale through the recently
concluded appraisal exercise, as part of their conditions which must be
complied with in order to end the picketing exercise.
Reacting, Ikeja
Eletric Head of Corporate Communications, Felix Ofulue, expressed displeasure
at the situation, recalling how Lagosians had gone through untold hardship
because of self-serving motives of some union leaders in the month of March.
He reminded Labour
leaders that Ikeja Electric had approached the National Industrial Court to
intervene and in the filed suit (NICN/LA/228/2016 ), Ikeja Electric had secured
a restraint barring “the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Senior
Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC), Nigeria Labour
Congress (NLC), their agents, officers, privies, representatives or otherwise,
whether acting of their own accords or in concert with other bodies, persons or
unions, from disrupting or shutting down the operations of the Company or
barricading the entry and exit points of her Corporate Headquarters located at Obafemi
Awolowo Way, Alausa Ikeja, or any other premises or location where the Company
carries out commercial and (or) technical operations”.
He warned parties to
the protest to desist from further obstruction of access points at all IE
locations, noting that Ikeja Electric would seek further redress appropriately.
Ofulue noted that as a
responsible company, Ikeja Electric had no other choice than to deal within the
limits of law. He however encouraged Lagos residents to speak out and not allow
a few individuals to hold many to ransom.
Commenting on the
issue of the appraisal exercise, Ofulue stated that the process was open to
scrutiny noting that it was curious that Labor was silent about over 1000 union
members who scaled through the process and are still in the employment of Ikeja
Electric.
“Ikeja Electric is an
equal opportunity employer. Our standard requirement is excellence. It is not a
witch hunt, it is about performance. We recently hired excellent visually
impaired customer service staff, so why would we just send out 229 staff.
“The argument of
Labour is flawed, especially as over 1000 of their own members scaled the same
process and are still working with the company till date”, he added.
He urged Lagosians to
resist attempts by Labour to sabotage power supply and assured customers that
once it is safe for staff to gain access to all locations, normal power supply
will be restored to the company’s esteemed customers.
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