Members of the Nigerian Union of Electricity Employees on Thursday protested the alleged arrest and continued detention of five staff members by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company.
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‎The protest, which took place simultaneously at EEDC district offices in Awka, Onitsha and other locations across the state, saw workers blocking entrances and halting all operations.
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‎The detained staff, including a mother of three, were allegedly arrested on July 31 by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad in Awkuzu, on the orders of the EEDC management over alleged professional misconduct.
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‎The aggrieved workers also lamented poor remuneration, harassment, lack of medicare, intimidation by the Enugu Disco, alleging that several workers have died and others rendered incapacitated due to the policies of the EEDC.
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‎The EEDC, which is responsible for the distribution of power in the South-East states of Anambra, Imo, Enugu, Abia and Ebonyi, is also being accused of operating an “oppressive working environment” for electricity workers across the South-East.
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‎The protesting workers, who marched from the main entrance of the service and customer offices in Onitsha and Awka, round the neighbouring streets, disrupted operations and prevented access to the premises, while carrying placards with varying descriptions.
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‎Some of the descriptions on their placards read, “Release our members unlawfully detained”, “Pay your staff very commiserate salary”, “Stop slavery of your worker”, “Electricity workers say no to intimidation and harassment”, “Stop breaking the terms and conditions of service”, among others.
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‎Speaking during the protest, the Chairman, Ndukwu Bonaventure, said, “No one knows their whereabouts, including their family members, until we started making enquiries at police formations across the state.

”As a union, we went round the police formations across the state until we discovered them at the detention camp in Awkuzu SARS, and that was after five days when we had toured almost all the police formations across the state.
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‎”Our members cannot continue working under the constant threat of arbitrary arrests. We will continue to pursue justice through peaceful and lawful means.
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‎”While we condemned any acts of misconduct, we are insisting that disciplinary procedures must follow due process.
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‎“We do not condone fraud or malpractice, but our members are not criminals and must not be treated like armed robbers. There are established internal procedures for handling such matters, and those must be respected.”
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‎Also speaking, the Vice Chairman of NUEE in the state, Friday Idoko, lamented the poor condition of service by the management of EEDC, saying, “Last two weeks, I was almost electrocuted and I was admitted for one week and until I resumed yesterday, no member of management asked after me. An only son of his parents have died doing this job and nothing was done for his family.
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‎“We are demanding for the release of five of our members now, not tomorrow. We know they have Police in their kitty and can control them the way they like we have nothing but they must release them or this work will be abandoned for them.”
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‎Efforts to reach the Head of Corporate Communications at EEDC, Emeka Eze, for comment were unsuccessful.
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Calls and messages to his phone went unanswered.

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Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has donated ₦110 million to the families of the 22 Kano athletes who lost their lives in a tragic accident earlier this year.

‎According to a statement on Thursday by the governor’s spokesperson, Sanusi Dawakin Tofa, each family received ₦5 million through the First Lady’s intervention under the Victim Support Fund, aimed at easing the burden of loss and supporting their recovery.

‎“‎In a matching gesture of empathy and leadership, Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, also provided an additional ₦130 million, with each of the 10 injured athletes receiving ₦2 million and a plot of land while the families of the deceased get an additional N5m each,” Tofa said.

‎‎Earlier, the state had offered an initial ₦22 million, with ₦1 million given to each bereaved family shortly after the incident and those injured were given ₦500,000 each.

Yusuf expressed deep appreciation to the First Lady, describing her intervention as “a clear demonstration of compassion, leadership, and shared humanity.”

‎He noted that her support has significantly complemented the state’s efforts in standing with the victims’ families during their moment of grief.

‎Other notable contributions include ₦32 million,  from the Ogun State Government, ₦20 million from the ‎Jigawa State Government and ₦2.2 million and ‎‎Engr. Sagir Koki.

The Federal Government, through the Equipment Leasing Registration Authority under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Finance, has issued a mandatory compliance directive to all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies regarding equipment leasing procedures and documentation in the country.

This was disclosed in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Thursday by the Registrar/CEO of ELRA, Donald Wokoma.

Wokoma said the notice, based on the circular with Ref. No. F/LEG/2809/15/T2/7 dated 27th June 2025 from the Federal Ministry of Finance, formally establishes the operational framework for ELRA and mandates all MDAs to engage the agency on all equipment leasing matters.

According to the circular, all MDAs are now required to interface with ELRA via its official website (www.elra.gov.ng) or designated phone lines (0705 032 4595, 0803 612 7118) for any transactions involving equipment leasing.

“The key directives to MDAs include ensuring that an ELRA registration certificate accompanies all procurement processes involving equipment leasing;

“Registering all lease agreements with ELRA as a prerequisite for procurement eligibility;

“Complying fully with the Public Procurement Act, which aims to streamline leasing operations and support the Federal Government’s revenue mobilisation strategies,” the circular explained.

Wokoma said the new compliance regime was expected to bring transparency, accountability, and regulatory oversight to equipment leasing transactions within public institutions.

He also emphasised the importance of wide circulation and strict adherence to the directive across all government institutions.

“The integration of equipment leasing into a formal registration process will not only boost confidence in lease transactions but also contribute to the overall fiscal efficiency of the government,” Wokoma added.

He, therefore, urged stakeholders to take immediate action to align with the directive to avoid contravening the established regulations.

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