By GIWA Shile
The Nigerian Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), has decried estimated billing and urged electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOS) to made prepaid meters available to Nigerian.
Mr Joe Ajaero, NUEE General Secretary, spoke on Tuesday in Abuja, at a workshop organised by the union for state and chapters officials.
The theme of the workshop is, “Effective Leadership Strategies and Grievance Handling in a Privatised Sector.’’
Ajaero said that the estimated billing in the power sector has done more harm than good.
According to him, people have been driven out of their small scale businesses because they cannot pay the current tariff as the companies have refused to supply prepaid meters.
“You cannot tell me to pay N20, 000 at the end of the month as my bill for electricity without any kind of measurement in terms of consumption hours that I used within the period.
“So, without prepaid meter, it is a kind of exploitation and electricity cannot be sold without a measurement which is the meter.
“I want to called on the Federal Government to have a re-think in that direction to ensure that the meters are made available to all, ‘’ he said.
Ajaero, who is also the President of the United Labour Congress (ULC), said pravitasation has negative effect on the power sector.
“Privatisation has not done any good to this country, but rather it has created more problems, especially in the power sector and Nigerians are yet to see efficient service delivery.
Mr Martins Uzoegwu, NUEE President, who also spoke, said the workshop was organised to address some major challenges faced by members of the union in the 36 states of the federation and the FCT.
“The workshop is to enlighten the state and chapter officials on how to address grievances confronting them and also how to communicate through the right channel in achieving their goals and objectives, ’’he said.
Mr Joseph Adeneyi, Senior Manager, Human Resources Operation, Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), pledged to continue to partner for peace and progress of the union.
Mr Felix Olisedeme, Apo, Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), NUEE branch chairman, said the workshop was timely.
“This is because, we are preparing for our forthcoming union branches’ elections and this training is coming at a time when many of our members are feeling the union is not doing enough and even their grievances are not being addressed, ‘’ he said.
A participant, Mrs Helen Okonkwoeje, NUEE FCT Women leader, said the workshop was also timely.
She the programme was educative as she learnt new techniques and strategy to handle issues better and also a better way to communicate on members’ welfare.—-NAN
