Labour unions have said that the privatisation of the electricity sector should be reversed, declaring it a failure.

The labour unions, including the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees, AUPCTRE, and the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, made the call at a two-day workshop on “Promoting Transparency and Decent Work in Supply Chains in Electricity, Water and Waste Services in Sub-Sahara Africa”.

The event, held November 18 and 19, was supported by DGB Bildungs Werk and Public Services International, PSI.

They held that “The transfer of ownership of the National Electric Power Authority, NEPA/ Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, to private entities which the Federal Government said would improve efficiency, attract investments and enhance the overall electricity supply in Nigeria, has failed.”

They noted the increase in electricity tariffs and decrease in power supply resulting to darkness in most homes.

According to the unionists, the unending collapse of the national grid portends danger to the economy and increases insecurity, which affects businesses in Nigeria.

Therefore, they declared that “The clandestine attempts to privatise water in Nigeria through various MOUs and agreements at national and state levels are extremely worrisome.”

The solution, they said, was a total reversal of the electricity sector privatisation, review of the unjust tariff on electricity, including the oppressive bands structure introduced by the current administration in the most recent tariff hike.

They also called for an overhaul of the national grid to upgrade it and protection of electricity infrastructure across the country from vandals, who work in collusion with unscrupulous agents of the state intent on milking the country through contracts for repair works.

Also, they recommended a total stoppage to the planned privatisation of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, and a halt to the planned privatisation of water through the so-called PPPs.

“We demand, instead, the introduction of Public-Public-Partnerships which have proven to be effective in addressing challenges in the public sector globally,” they said, among other suggestions.

Earlier in the welcome address, PSI-DGB National Coordinator, Abiodun Bakare, said that several engagements with Rank-and-File in different states across the country revealed a lot of challenges faced by the union members, hence the convening aimed to gauge the pulse of members on the privatisation plans of government and how they can collectively approach the issues.

A communique, signed on behalf of participants by Comrade Benjamin Anthony, National President, AUPCTRE, and NUEE Acting General Secretary, Comrade Igwebike Dominic, contained details of the two-day deliberations.