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.
