The headquarters of the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) was shut down last Tuesday as its senior staff barricaded the entrance over what they said was unfair labour practices just as they said their 11 point demands were unmet since December 2016.
The staff under the aegis of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) – ECN unit said the warning protest would hold for three days until the Presidency intervenes and removes the Director General, Prof. Eli Jidere Bala.
The workers who carried over 10 placards with various inscriptions like ‘EFCC please investigate financial transactions in project accounts’, ‘breach of public procurement law’, and ‘illegal recruitment’, also accused the DG of paying N11.432 million to three Science and Technology, ministry officials to facilitate their participation in an energy summit in January 2017 but has neglected the training of key personnel in the commission.
Chairman of ASCSN, ECN unit, Comrade Promise Chukwu who led the protest told our reporter that the agitation won’t stop until the workers get better work tools, and conducive work environment.
Part of the 11 point demands are that the commission must be transferred to the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources (MPR) from where before it was moved to the Ministry of Science and Technology.
They said Prof. Bala who they claimed has spent over four years as the DG was yet to know the status of ECN, arguing that the commission was a research agency.
Comrade Chukwu however said the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) had notified that the commission is a “Non Research Institute’ responsible for coordinating energy policies nationwide.
He said: “Our first demand is that, Prof. Bala must go since he does not know the status of the organisation he has been heading for the past four and half years. The Head of Service of the Federation and the Minister of Labour and employment will attest to this.”
They also want all financial transactions in the commission investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) especially in the ECN Project Account adding that the “association is ready to assist EFCC with supporting documents to ease the investigation.”
On the working conditions, the labour group called for the immediate reconstitution of the committee on conditions of service for ECN to address the peculiarity of the commission which has been lacking 29 years after the commission was established.
A meeting between the Science Ministry, Office of the Head of Service of the Federation (OHSF), the Commission and ASCSN at the instance of the Labour Ministry held on September 21, 2017 after the workers petitioned the Labour Minister, Dr Chris Ngige on four key areas.
Our reporter could not reach the DG, Prof. Bala in his office during the three day protests, for his reaction and what is being done to resolve the crisis.
