Kaduna Gov’t Urges Striking DisCo Workers to End Blackout in States

The Kaduna State Government has called on the management of Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (Kaduna Electric) and the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) to resolve the ongoing blackout affecting Kaduna, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara states.

The call was made by the Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe, who presided over an emergency meeting on Thursday between Kaduna Electric management and labour union leaders at the Government House in Kaduna. The meeting was convened in an effort to address the ongoing strike by electricity workers, which was triggered by the alleged mass sacking of employees.

The strike, which began at midnight on Sunday, has caused severe disruptions in businesses and social activities across Kaduna and the other states served by Kaduna Electric. The prolonged power outage has also had a significant impact on essential services, particularly healthcare, making the situation more urgent.

During the meeting, Dr. Balarabe emphasized the damaging consequences of the blackout on critical services and urged the striking workers to restore power supply while negotiations to resolve the labor dispute continue.

The management of Kaduna Electric, represented by its Managing Director, Umar Abubakar Hashidu, and Comrade Rilwan Shehu, Deputy President-General of the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, expressed gratitude for the state government’s intervention. Both sides pledged to work toward restoring normal power supply while addressing the ongoing labor crisis.