Abubakar Aliyu: Minister of Power
President Buhari has approved the sack of the management of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) over the industrial action by the Nigerian Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) which threw the capital city into a blackout Monday.
The General Manager, Corporate Communications, AED Plc, Bode Fadipe had announced that those on the 11kV network were affected which cut off supply to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Kogi, Nasarawa, and Niger states.
Fadipe promised to resolve the issues with the Union who were protesting unpaid allowances, salaries, and unremitted pension deductions.
There was however a plot twist on Tuesday as the Media Aide of the Minister of State for Power, Ofem Uket announced that the president has approved a new interim governing board to oversee the day-to-day operations of the company.
Uket said in statement, “The presidential directives as conveyed also directed the Bureau of Public Enterprises to set up a new management team of the AEDC.
“In a memorandum of understanding MOU, jointly signed by the minister of state power Goddy Jedy Agba, the chairman Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission NERC, Sanusi Garba, Director-General, Bureau of Public Enterprises, Alex Okoli, Comrade Joe Ajaero on behalf of the union, the federal government ordered the suspension of the strike [and asked to] given 21 days within which the outstanding emoluments and entitlements of staff will be paid.”