By Chris Ochayi

There was sharp disagreement between the labour unions in the electricity sector on Wednesday, following the sacking of the former Managing Director of Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, Mr. Usman Gur Mohammed.

Recall that the organised labour unions at the, TCN, Wednesday morning, trooped in large numbers to express their anger over the removal of Mr. Usman Gur Mohammed from.

The unions, which staged the wild protest at the Company’s Headquarters located in Maitama District of the Federal Capital City, FCC, in Abuja, said they rejected the sacking of Mr. Mohammed as the Managing Director of TCN, by the Minister of Power, Engr. Sale Mamman.

They also threatened to shut down power infrastructure should urgent step not taking by the government to reinstate him.

Recall Minister of Power, Engr. Sale Mamman Tuesday night announced the replacement of the Managing Director, TCN Mr. Usman Gur Mohammed with Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz.

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The members of the unions who staged the protest comprised the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, SSAEAC, and the Nigerian Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, at TCN branch, who had abandoned their job to reject the sacking.

But shortly after the protest, the national body of the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, SSAEAC, had came up with statement supporting the sacking of the Managing Director, TCN, Mr. Usman Gur Mohammed.

The body, according to Umar A. Dubagari its General Secretary, in the statement issued in Abuja, described the era of Mr. Mohamed at the helms of affairs of the company as period of terror and gangsterism.

The statement reads; “The Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, SSAEAC, hereby send a heartfelt appreciation to President/Commander-in-Chief and the Honourable Ministers of Power, for liberating the hub of power sectors (TCN) from the stranglehold of a despot by relieving the former MD of his misfit position.

“We foresaw this when we exposed his background and character which he covered up with falsified CV that misled the government.  We are glad that the truth has prevailed with the announcement of the removal of recalcitrant and insubordinate MD TCN, which is a welcome relief to TCN staff and power sector operators.

“We highlight his impunities as follows: Abandonment of TCN structure for cronism and nepotism, manipulation of procurement processes with attendant financial fleecing of TCN, clearing and diversion of over 700 Containers from the ports without documentation of contents.

“Loss of 20 power transformers and substations worth over N30B in just over three years, a humongous loss to Nigeria, connivance with compromised staff to fleece TCN of assets and resources, destruction of unionism through sponsorship of internal crises.

“Connivance and use of a union to act as his blackmail machinery against government and his superiors, quarrelsomeness with Co-sector operators with uncouth language and character.

“Enslavement of workers by instigating spying and reporting on each other – working in fear of his victimization, abuse of his power in dispensing official rights of workers like foreign medical trips.

“General emasculation of rights of all except through intimidation and harassment, the atrocities of this man are numerous and have just been cut short ignominiously, to the relief of the sector. We shall be pressing for his investigation and prosecution.

“It was a removal of disorder, arrogance, insubordination, impunity and turmoil in the sector as characterized by his tenure since Feb 2017, all Nigerians should therefore look forward to improved services in TCN since workers are liberated from the fear stranglehold of the man aimed at personal gains.

VANGUARD