Union Strikes over NNPC Unbundling cripples Power supply in the country

As fuel scarcity worsens

Despite assurances from the Federal Government that the restructuring of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) will not lead to job losses, workers on Wednesday began a nationwide strike to protest the move.

The strike which was called barely 24 hours after the restructuring was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari and announced by the Minister of State Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, shut down activities at the NNPC headquarters in Abuja  totally crippled the power supply industry by withholding gas supply to major power generation plants.

Kachikwu had on Tuesday told journalists that the corporation has been restructured into five main business divisions operating in Upstream, Downstream, Gas and power, Refineries and Ventures; and additional two service divisions made up of finance and accounts, and corporate services.

But NNPC workers under the auspices of their two major unions, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) accused the government of alienating them in the process leading to the restructuring announcement.

The workers stated that they were not carried along in the entire process, hence their decision to down tool.

The main entrance to the corporation was blocked early on Wednesday morning as staff of the NNPC and its subsidiaries located in the towers were equally turned back by the protesting union members.

As a result, Power generation dropped to an average of about 1,500 MW, in the early hours of yesterday the unions’ action to protest the unbundling of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC. The Major Gas supplier/Transporter Nigeria Gas Company (NGC) a subsidiary of NNPC did not supply gas to the power plants.

As at 5pm on wednesday evening when Nigerianeye monitored the generation plants, Egbin, Sapele, Sapele NIPP, Afam IV-V, Geregu Gas, Geregu NIPP, Omotosho gas, Omotosho NIPP, Olorunshogo gas, Olorunshogo NIPP, Alaoji NIPP, Ihobvor NIPP were not generating any power at all due to the strike action.

Only Generation from the Hydros, and Gas plants run by International Oil companies Okpai (Agip) and Afam VI (Shell) were generating to the grid.

The NNPC workers had threatened that the latest strike will affect every economic activity, as there will be no loading of petroleum products at the depots , a development that has escalated current fuel shortages, while also cutting gas supply.

Majority of Nigeria’s power plants whether on-grid or off-grid, depend on gas supply from the Nigeria Gas Company, a subsidiary of NNPC, to fuel the plants. 

With NNPC workers making good its threat to cut off gas supply and suspend lifting of petroleum products, even to power homes and businesses through private generators will become more difficult and at premium costs.

Ikeja Distribution Company Picketing, Lagos in Total blackout.
The Ikeja Distribution company is also having their share of strike action as Labour leaders under the auspice of Electricity Employees Union of Nigeria and its affiliate labour unions have continued barricade of the energy company’s offices since Tuesday.
The workers allegedly cause a major transmission line; The Egbin-Oke Aro line to trip thereby causing other major transmission lines to trip thereby preventing the transmission of power from the generating plants to the Lagos metropolis for about 12 hours on Tuesday.