Nigeria in total darkness as workers shut down national grid, paralyses business activities
The strike embarked on by the Nigerian workers on Monday has thrown the country into total darkness as the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) workers’ union has shut down the national grid, while some power-generating units from different generating stations were forced to shut down.
Penpushing reports that General Manager, Public Affairs of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) Ndidi Mbah, confirmed this in a statement adding that the national grid shutdown occurred at about 2.19 a.m. on Monday.
“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 shutdown occurred at about 2.19 a.m. this morning, 3rd June 2024,” she said.
Penpushing further reports that Mbah explained that at about 1:15 a.m., the Benin Transmission Operator under the Independent System Operations unit of the company reported that all operators were driven away from the control room.
The manager added that the workers who resisted were beaten while some were wounded in the course of forcing them out of the control room, pointing out that the operations of the Benin Area Control Center were, thus, 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,” she added.
Penpushing also reports that Mbah speaking on the power-generating side, disclosed that some power-generating units from different generating stations were forced to shut down, adding that the Jebba generating station was forced to shut down one of its generating units while three others in the same substation subsequently shut down at very high frequency.
‘The sudden forced load cuts led to high frequency and system instability, which eventually shut down the national grid at 2:19 a.m At about 3.23 a.m., however, TCN commenced grid recovery, using the Shiroro substation to attempt to feed the transmission lines supplying bulk electricity to the Katampe Transmission Substation,” she said.
Penpushing reports that Mbah explained that the situation is such that the labour union is still obstructing grid recovery nationwide, but assured that the company will continue to make efforts to recover and stabilise the grid to enable the restoration of normal bulk transmission of electricity to distribution load centres nationwide.
The strike in the same vein disrupted academic activities across country as primary and secondary school teachers, and their counterparts in higher institutions joined the nationwide indefinite strike announced by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC).
Penpushing further reports that investigation conducted showed that pupils in public schools were asked to return home as their schools were shut, while tertiary institutions students including those currently sitting examinations, were also locked out of their classrooms and libraries.
The strike equally recorded total compliance in states across the country as offices both at federal and state government, while the banks were not left out, as officials of the Nigeria Labours Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (NUC) were sighted enforcing the order.
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