Strike: TCN ANNOUNCES NATIONWIDE BLACKOUT

BY: ADEYEMI LAHANMI



As a result of the ongoing strike which started yesterday  Labour unions and the trade union Congress have shut down the power grid resulting in a Nationwide blackout. This was announced by the  Transmission Company of Nigeria.

On Monday morning TCN spokesperson, Ndidi Mbah, announced the shutdown as it was said that the action was deliberately done by the workers.

In a statement titled “Grid shutdown: Union Deliberately shuts down the National Grid.”

“The Transmission Company of Nigeria hereby informs the general public that the labour union has shut down the national grid, resulting in a blackout nationwide. The national grid shut down occurred at about 2.19am this morning, June 3, 2024.

“At about 1:15am this morning, the Benin Transmission Operator under the Independent System Operations unit of TCN reported that all operators were driven away from the control room and that staff that resisted were beaten while some were wounded in the course of forcing them out of the control room. Without any form of control or supervision, the Benin Area Control Centre was brought to zero.

Other transmission substations that were shut down by the labour union include the Ganmo, Benin, Ayede, Olorunsogo, Akangba, and Osogbo transmission substations. Some transmission lines were equally opened due to the ongoing activities of the labour union.”

TCN further revealed that power generating units from different generating stations were forced to shut down some units of their generating plants.

At about 3.23am, however, TCN commenced grid recovery, using the Shiroro Substation to attempt to feed the transmission lines supplying bulk electricity to the Katampe Transmission Substation. The situation is such that the labour union is still obstructing grid recovery nationwide.

“We will continue to make effort to recover and stabilise the grid to enable the restoration of normal bulk transmission of electricity to distribution load centres nationwide,” the statement added.

While hoping for a quick intervention to the ongoing standoff between labour and the government, labour unions are still standing firm on its grounds for a better living wage for Nigerians.