Tunde Bakare
The Nigeria Labour Congress on Tuesday besieged the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company facility in Abuja.
The Union was protesting the controversial disengagement of nearly 900 workers and issuing a 48-hour ultimatum to the company to resolve the dispute or face a total shutdown of operations.
The protest, led by NLC President Joe Ajaero, disrupted activities at the electricity distribution firm as workers vacated their offices in compliance with the union’s directive.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, Chijioke Okwuokenye, said the company had commenced discussions with labour leaders to resolve the ongoing dispute.
“We are currently engaging the leadership of the NLC,” he stated in an exclusive chat with our correspondent on Tuesday night.
During the picketing exercise, Ajaero accused AEDC of misleading labour over the nature of the disengagement, describing the exercise as deceptive and unjust.
“The understanding we had was that those affected were workers who had reached retirement age or were about to retire. No responsible labour leader would oppose that,” he said.
“But what we found is completely different. A majority of those disengaged are not retirees. Some have not even spent up to five or six years in service. Many worked for just two to three years. That is the height of deceit.”
The protest escalated when NLC leaders arrived for a scheduled meeting with AEDC management but discovered that the AEDC Managing Director, Chijioke Okwuokenye, was absent.
“We came here for a meeting, but the MD was not on seat. Even previous engagements have been handled in a very lukewarm manner,” Ajaero said.
The union immediately called off the meeting and directed workers to withdraw their services, effectively grounding operations at the facility.
Ajaero warned that failure by the company to address the issue within 48 hours could lead to a wider industrial action that may disrupt electricity supply in Abuja and beyond.
“If nothing is done within that time, we cannot guarantee power supply. The workers who keep the system running will stay at home, and if they are not at work, the system will naturally be affected,” he said.
“This will not stop here. All AEDC stations will be affected. Operations will be halted until this matter is addressed.”
The NLC expressed concern that similar practices could spread across the power sector if not checked.
“What is even more troubling is that other distribution companies are beginning to copy this pattern. That sends a very dangerous signal across the power sector,” Ajaero warned.
He described the situation as part of a broader breakdown in labour relations within the electricity industry.
“In Abuja today, almost 90 per cent of electricity billing is estimated, yet there is no corresponding supply. Nigerians are being exploited under a system that rewards inefficiency,” he said.
He also criticised power generation companies, accusing them of demanding government support while neglecting obligations to workers.
“Some of them are asking for about N6tn for what is essentially darkness, yet they are owing over N5bn in union dues. How do you demand trillions when you cannot meet your responsibilities?” he queried.
The labour movement is demanding that AEDC publish the full list of affected workers, including their years of service and reasons for disengagement.
“Let Nigerians see whether the union is being unfair or whether management acted unjustly,” Ajaero said.
He also raised concerns over poor welfare conditions, lack of promotions, and unresolved staff issues within the company.
“What we are seeing is a policy of endless dialogue without implementation. That has no place in industrial relations,” he added.
The latest crisis is linked to a mass disengagement exercise carried out by AEDC last year, which initially sparked controversy within the sector.
At the time, management reportedly said the exercise would target only staff who had reached retirement age. However, labour unions later alleged that younger employees were also affected, triggering disputes that have remained unresolved.
The power sector has continued to face tensions between operators and labour unions since the 2013 privatisation, with recurring disputes over workers’ rights, conditions of service, and compliance with labour laws.
The current standoff, if not quickly resolved, could worsen electricity supply challenges in the Federal Capital Territory and surrounding states.
In a strongly worded remark, Ajaero said the union would no longer tolerate what it described as injustice in the sector.
“The management of AEDC seems to think they can dribble everyone, and people will forget. But today is a day of reckoning,” he said.
“History has shown that unresolved labour issues do not disappear; they come back, often worse. Time is ticking.”
He urged workers to remain united, insisting that justice must be done.
“Those who were unjustly sacked must have their cases revisited within the law. We are not asking for anything outside the law, but the law must be followed,” he stated.
Last year, PUNCH Online reported a sweeping retrenchment exercise that affected 800 employees, even as Nigerians continue to reel under rising inflation, soaring living costs, and erratic power supply.
The mass layoff, which began on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, follows months of internal restructuring at the utility firm, which serves the Federal Capital Territory, Kogi, Niger, and Nasarawa States.
Multiple sources familiar with the development within the company said that the management had initially proposed to sack 1,800 workers before reducing the number to 800 after a series of tense negotiations with the National Union of Electricity Employees and the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies.