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NUEE shuts BEDC facilities over unresolved emoluments and welfare issues, triggering a blackout across the company’s four-state franchise.
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Union members block access to BEDC’s Benin headquarters and shut vital operational facilities.
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Industrial action cuts electricity supply across Edo, Delta, Ondo and Ekiti, disrupting homes and businesses.
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BEDC management begins talks with NUEE leadership as NLC weighs further intervention to end the dispute.
October 20, (THEWILL) – Electricity supply across Edo, Delta, Ondo and Ekiti states was disrupted on Monday after workers under the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) shut down critical facilities of BEDC Electricity Plc over a dispute involving emoluments and welfare packages.
The industrial action grounded key operations of the electricity distribution company and plunged customers across its four-state franchise into darkness.
At BEDC’s headquarters in Benin City, Edo State, NUEE officials barricaded the premises and prevented employees from gaining access to their offices as the action took effect.
Critical operational facilities were also shut down, disrupting electricity distribution across the company’s network.
The development forced several employees to leave their offices early, while BEDC management entered into talks with NUEE leaders in an effort to resolve the dispute and restore normal operations.
The Edo State Chairman of NUEE, Williams Uwumarogie, could not be reached for comment. But a senior BEDC official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, expressed surprise at the shutdown, saying the management had recently reviewed workers’ emoluments.
“We are surprised at their action. Some of them even harassed some of our staff trying to record their actions. The current management recently reviewed their emoluments. I am surprised that they shut down facilities of the company”, the official said.
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However, acting Edo State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Bernard Egwakide, confirmed that the congress had previously intervened in the dispute between the workers and BEDC management.
Egwakide said the NLC would await the outcome of the ongoing negotiations before deciding whether another intervention was necessary.
“But right now, the leadership of NUEE is in a meeting with the management of the company. Let us see how far they can resolve it. That will determine if we will intervene”, he said.
There was no immediate indication of when the shutdown would be called off, leaving electricity consumers across the four states uncertain over the duration of the outage.
Background
BEDC Electricity Plc operates the electricity distribution network covering Edo, Delta, Ondo and Ekiti states, meaning disruptions to its critical operational facilities can affect consumers across the four states.
The latest shutdown followed a disagreement between NUEE and BEDC management over workers’ emoluments and welfare packages. Although management said workers’ emoluments had recently been reviewed, the union proceeded with the shutdown as negotiations over the outstanding issues continued.
The development comes against the backdrop of persistent challenges in Nigeria’s electricity sector, where households and businesses already contend with unstable supply and frequent outages.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
