DON'T RE-APPOINT BABALOLA, ELECTRICITY WORKERS WARN FG

By NBF News

Electricity workers under the aegis of National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), have vowed to embark on industrial action if the Acting President, Goodluck Jonathan re-appoints former Minister of Power, Dr. Rilwan Babalola to the sector.

According to the General Secretary, Comrade Joe Ajaero, electricity workers have been directed to down tools any day they hear that Babalola was reappointed into the sector.

Ajaero said apart from embarking on strike, they would also cease to co-operate with Jonathan for bowing to the cabal against the aspiration of the people.

He said the former minister did not understand the sector and that the management he appointed has disproved him that PHCN is overstaffed.

According to him, Babalola was Personal Assistant to Yakubu Tanimu, President Umaru Yar'Adua's Economic Adviser before he was appointed minister.

Furthermore, Ajaero said: 'Babalola's sponsors, including a governor, are the ones leading the lobby for his re-appointment. It was also the same group that assured him last year that non-actualization of the 6,000 megawatts of electricity would not lead to his sack .However, their calculation was that non-actualization of the promised 6,000 megawatts would provoke Yar'Adua to hand over the sector to them. Hence, no effort was made to actualize the target.'

The NUEE scribe said electricity workers were tired of the sector being used for political patronage.

He said the power sector is a different kind of ministry and as such only people with the know-how should be appointed to head the ministry.

According to him, one of the reasons there has not been a headway in the sector is because professionals have not been given the opportunity to man it, adding that even the politicians who are appointment fail to learn from the stakeholders.

'We have said it over and over that appointment into the power sector should not be political patronage or for rehabilitation of one old politician or another. The power sector is a highly technical ministry and as such only people with the know-how should be appointment to head it so that they can make positive impact. For a very long time now, people who have headed the ministry did not understand the machines or the people and when they are appointed instead of coming to learn from us, they will be avoiding us. That has been the problem and we have resolved to say no to such people coming to head the ministry starting from the forthcoming appoiuntment.If Babalola is re-appointed, we will put the nation in total darkness and we will also stop cooperating with the acting president,' Ajaero warned.