By Oscarline Onwuemenyi

The National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, has demanded the full implementation of the Elumelu Committee report on the power sector ahead of negotiations on the planned privatization of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, between representatives of the Federal Government and labour Unions in the power industry.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja on last week, the General Secretary of NUEE, Mr. Joe Ajaero, said there would not be any headway in the negotiations unless the government makes a commitment to arresting and prosecuting contractors and other individuals indicted by the report.

According to him, “If indeed the government is consciously seeking a way forward to the electricity quagmire in this country, the right place to begin would be to see to the full and unhindered implementation of the Elumelu Committee report on how billions of naira meant for the power sector were squandered.

“We are aware that the report exposed several acts of corruption ranging from uncompleted power projects to even non-execution of projects even after monies have been paid. The contractors and politicians have gone ahead to become governors and senators, and nobody has been arrested or taken to jail ever since.”

Ajaero insisted that electricity workers in the country were not to blame for the inefficiency and instability in the sector, adding that any attempt to privatise the industry without resolving the root cause of the problems would amount to nil.

He said, “This lip service in the name of power reform must stop. The workers are not contractors that have landed us all in this mess. The blame of unstable power supply should not be shifted to workers when it is obvious that if the contractors had done their jobs Nigerians would enjoy better quality of electricity.”