‘Harvestors’ had the Financial/Technical muscles to improve power generation and distribution to Nigerians. Can Nigerians be told today that this purpose has been achieved? The answer was echoed in the print/electronic media by members of the National Assembly who even called for the total reversal of the entire process.
“Despite improvement in the wheeling capacity of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) which is still Federal Government owned to over 7,000MW, the generation output has been dwindling below 5,000MW.
He added: “Alas!, the ‘Hustlers’ who deceived the Federal Government into paying almost two trillion naira subvention to the owners of the new companies since privatization; are being used to call the union names in order to exploit Nigerians and sustain the current comatose situation. Their mission is simply to call a dog a bad name in order to hang it while they keep smiling to the banks.
“The same ‘Hawks’ who were gifted the DisCos and GenCos have sharpened their propaganda machinery through these same Hustlers that mid-wived the Privatization of the Power Sector just to distract/hoodwink Nigerians from knowing the real issues.
Almost nine years of power privatization, the entitlements of some of the workers of the defunct PHCN have not been paid as they suffer untold hardship while some have been sent to early grave due to frustration and lack of fund to attend to health challenges after being forced out of service under the guise of privatization.
“Similarly, the precarious work conditions have imposed hardship on existing employees in the sector as the generation companies have refused to sign Conditions of Service guiding Employer/Employee relations. Lack of workplace democracy, poor remuneration, lack of welfare packages coupled with being denied their fundamental Constitutional rights to belong/join the Union. They have simply become ‘glorified modern day slave camps’.
“Electricity tariff has continued to rise without making prepaid meters available to Nigerians despite the Federal Government’s directive to the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission and the DisCos.
“We are prepared to use our labour and sweat to liberate the sector and the country from the clutches of these “Hustlers’ in the power sector.”
