Blackout in Ilorin, others as PHCN workers go on strike

Most parts of Ilorin, Kwara State capital, have been thrown into darkness in the past five days as PHCN offices have been put under lock and key, while workers stayed off the duty posts.Investigations conducted by the Community News in Ilorin revealed that the development might not be unconnected with the strike being embarked upon by the PHCN workers.Sources also said that the blackout might not be unconnected with the ongoing protest by the workers of PHCN against the takeover of the Transmission Company of Nigeria(TCN) by Manitoba Hydro.It was also gathered that PHCN district offices at Challenge, Adewole, Babooko and Tanke areas of Ilorin were locked and deserted as there was no staff on duty.Further checks revealed that economic and social activities had been paralysed in the state capital as the situation persisted.Also, reports from other major towns of the state, namely Offa, Lafiaji, Patigi, Omu-Aran, Jebba, among others, showed that the situation was the same.All efforts to speak with the leadership of National Union of Electricity Employees proved abortive as they were said to be on monotoring visits to power installations in the state to ensure compliance.Speaking with the Community News, some of the residents appealed to the Federal government to rise up to the challenge in order to move the nation forward.They described the situation as disheartening more so, in the 21st century, lamenting that Nigeria cannot boast of constant power supply.The residents, who decried that a lot of money had been sunk to power generation and distribution by the successive administrations in the county, said that it was high time the government got it right so as to accelerate the socio economic growth of the nation.
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