Electricity Union Accuses Nnaji, Minister of Power Of Spending N400 Million On Journalists
Posted: August 15, 2012 - 17:53
Minister of Power, Bart Nnaji-REUTERS Photo
By SaharaReporters, New York

The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has called on Professor Barth Nnaji, the Power Minister, to resign immediately.

In a statement signed by Joe Ajaero, its General Secretary, the group cited Professor Nnaji’s “vituperation on the Workers, his fraudulent activities in the Power Sector and unnecessarily putting Nigerians under tension as characterized by his myriads of misinformation.”

They also demanded that he explain, before the end of Friday August 17, his role or activities in relation to several issues, including:

N395m collected from PHCN allegedly for the Media, for 3 months;
N280m collected from PHCN allegedly for Nigeria Army;
N200m collected from PHCN allegedly for Unknown Project in the Power Ministry;
N86m collected from PHCN allegedly for a bullet -proof vehicle;
N3m collected from PHCN and donated to Enugu State University of Technology (ESUT); and
Employment of 20 people in Enugu Zone of PHCN who are his kith and kins as staff two years after the closing date of casual employment and close of PHCN biometrics exercise.

“He should also explain to Nigerians why we have been collecting Pension and Gratuity from 1972 till June 2012 based on 25 percent, and why his reform tends to short change the workers,” the statement said, adding that the development confirms the fears of workers in the power sector that Nnaji’s reform is aimed at strangulating workers.

[Full text of the statement]:

PRESS RELEASE
PROF. BARTH NNAJI RESIGN NOW!
It has become imperative at this juncture to call for the immediate Resignation of the Professor Barth Nnaji as Power Minister based on his recent vituperation on the Workers, his fraudulent activities in the Power Sector and unnecessarily putting Nigerians under tension as characterized by his myriads of misinformation.

We therefore demand for explanations before the end of Friday August 17, 2012 his role or activities in relation to the following;

1. N395m collected from PHCN allegedly for the Media, for 3 months
2. N280m collected from PHCN allegedly for Nigeria Army
3. N200m collected from PHCN allegedly for Unknown Project in the Power Ministry

4. N86m collected from PHCN allegedly for Bullet Proof Vehicle
5. N3m collected from PHCN and donated to Enugu State University of Technology (ESUT)

6. Employment of 20 people in Enugu Zone of PHCN who are his kith and kins as staff two years after the closing date of casual employment and close of PHCN biometrics exercise.

7. Refusal to pay Regularized Casual Staff their salaries since February 2012

8. Appointment of Geometric staff as Bulk Trader in the Sector thereby giving advantage of load allocation to his company.

9. Dual Role as Chairman Geometrics Power Ltd, Chairman Aba Power Ltd and Minister of Power on pretence of blind thrust that is non existent in Nigeria.

10. Explain to Nigerians why a man who ran Geometric to bankruptcy and is being rescued by Government owned AMCON should continue to run the affairs of the Power Sector.

Based on the foregoing, the Power Minister should explain why we should continue to have anything to do with him before the expiration of date. He should also explain to Nigerians why we have been collecting Pension and Gratuity from 1972 till June 2012 based on 25 percent, and why his reform tends to short change the workers. This confirms fears of workers in the Sector that Nnajis reform is aimed at strangulating workers.

JOE AJAERO
General Secretary

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/electricity-union-accuses-nnaji-minister-power-spending-n400-million-journalists

these through and fro is making the whole scene entertaining.however i ask one question though.why is it that this union did not seem to have any issue with past ministers of power?

I see the PHCN guys have chosen to go down fighting which BTW is just as well! I do honestly hope Prof Nnaji has enough to shut them up. Here's your Okonjo-Iweala moment Prof.

wesley80: I see the PHCN guys have chosen to go down fighting which BTW is just as well! I do honestly hope Prof Nnaji has enough to shut them up. Here's your Okonjo-Iweala moment Prof.

well let us see how it goes as it seems to be turning out to be a gutter fight.however like you said in another thread this might just be a loosing battle for ajaero as people are just tired of nepa and might not get people's sympathy.

D only thing you can't avoid is change.we know how d army has been providing security for phcn installations.these union leaders are only trying to stop d power transformation from working out.nigerians know better,no propanganda can take us back.

Shame on phcn union or whatever u call urselves.nigerians are tired of ur corrupt practices.when u were busy collecting bribes from generator importers and fuel stations in return for nation-wide black outs u dint know it was bad.now nature is catching up with u all.what goes around surely comes around.whether u like it or not,we are in the transformation stage of the power sector and u all are gonna be pushed out.....ur time to prove ur efficiency to nigerians is up.call off dis gaddem strike and restore my light,bunch of nitwits.