Edo Govt, NLC Resolve Dispute As NUEE Moves To Restore Electricity

Electricity supply is set to be restored in Edo State after Governor Monday Okpebholo and leaders of organised labour settled the dispute over recognition of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) caretaker committee in the state. According to a Press Release by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Patrick Ebojele, the agreement was reached at a closed-door meeting in Abuja convened by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume.

Also present were NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero; Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi; and former Edo State Governor and ex-NLC President, Senator Adams Oshiomhole. Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Governor Okpebholo said the parties had resolved the matter. According to him, the state government would recognise the caretaker committee and work with labour leaders on arrangements for a substantive election.

“There is no issue actually, and we have resolved the issues that border the NLC caretaker committee in Edo,” he said. The Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, former Edo State Governor and ex-NLC President, Senator Adams Oshiomhole and others at the settlement meeting in Abuja.

Ajaero confirmed the agreement and thanked the Governor, Akume, Dingyadi and Oshiomhole for their roles. He said labour had agreed to work with the state government on recognising the caretaker committee, organising a substantive election, and addressing the rights and privileges due to the committee. “Consequently, power will be restored in Edo,” Ajaero said.

Oshiomhole described the dispute as a communication gap, which he said had now been resolved. He said the reason for continuing the action no longer existed. He also noted the Governor’s offer to rebuild trust between the Edo State Government and organised labour, and said renewed cooperation was needed to maintain industrial harmony. Dingyadi said the parties had agreed to work together for the peace and progress of Edo State and Nigeria.

He said the NLC would conduct a substantive election in Edo within three to six months. “The principal issue, which is electricity, is going to be restored immediately,” the minister said. Akume commended the participants for their willingness to settle the matter through dialogue. The power outage followed two related but separate disputes. The first was an industrial disagreement between BEDC Electricity Plc and the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) over workers’ pay and welfare.

The second was a leadership dispute with the Edo State NLC, led by Joseph Igbafe, over recognition of its caretaker committee.