TCN: There will be no blackout because of strike

The Transmission Company of Nigeria has debunked reports alleging that there will be a national blackout due to the ongoing protest by the organised unions.

On Monday, the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) asked its members to join the ongoing nationwide strike called by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC).

However, media reports on Tuesday alleged that electricity workers have shut down the national grid following the declaration of an indefinite strike.

Reacting to this development, TCN, in a statement on Tuesday, said the reports were “false and totally misleading”.

“The statement is mischievous and baseless as TCN, through the public affairs head, did not make such a statement,” TCN said.

“We hereby note that the nation’s grid is intact and supplying bulk electricity to distribution load centres nationwide.

“As at when issuing this statement, the TCN National control centre Osogbo which controls bulk power transmission nationwide, is actively operational.

“We would appreciate that reports are made with a sense of responsibility not just to cause panic.”

The nationwide strike is a protest of the alleged brutality meted out to Joe Ajaero, NLC president, in Imo state, on November 1.

Ajaero was reportedly picked up from the Imo council secretariat of the congress in Owerri by heavily armed police officers.