Table of Contents
- Protest Overview
- Demands of the Protesters
- Spokesperson's Statement
- Meetings Held
- Impact on Former Employees
- Concerns Over New Recruitment
- Call for Intervention
- Commitment to Protest
- Management Response
Former employees of Kaduna Electric staged a protest on Monday, demanding the payment of their alleged 88 months' outstanding pension arrears and entitlements.
The disgruntled former employees carried placards with messages such as “Kaduna Electric, you violated your conditions of service,” “Pay us our 88 months of outstanding pension arrears,” and “Our children are out of school due to non-payment of our entitlements.”
The group's spokesperson and former staff member in the Human Resources Department at the Makera Office, Christiana Emmanuel Ambi, told reporters that the management of Kaduna Electric acted unfairly by failing to honor the terms of service that were used to terminate their employment.
She stated that while the company referenced its conditions of service in ending their appointments, it did not adhere to the same policy when addressing their entitlements. The conditions of service explicitly state that employees who served between five and nine years are entitled to proportional benefits, while those who served nine years or more should receive 35% of their full emoluments annually.
Ambi further explained that many of the former employees had served for nine years or more, yet the company insists on paying them only 20%, which contradicts the agreement they had signed.
According to Ambi, several meetings have taken place between the disengaged staff, the management of Kaduna Electric, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, focusing on the modalities for payment. She emphasized that despite these discussions, no tangible action has been taken by the company.
Ambi expressed that the prolonged non-payment of benefits has resulted in severe hardship for many former workers and their families, with their children out of school and some facing health challenges without assistance.
The protesters also questioned the reasoning behind Kaduna Electric's ongoing recruitment of new staff while claiming financial incapacity to pay those who have already been disengaged.
She urged the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, and the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Kaduna Electric, Dr. Abubakar Umar Hashidu, to intervene urgently and ensure that justice is served.
The protesters pledged to continue their demonstrations until the management settles all outstanding entitlements and provides a clear breakdown of payments made thus far.
As of the time of this report, attempts to contact any member of the Kaduna Electric management have been unsuccessful.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the protesters demanding?
The protesters are demanding the payment of their 88 months' outstanding pension arrears and entitlements.
Who is the spokesperson for the protest?
The spokesperson is Christiana Emmanuel Ambi, a former staff member in the Human Resources Department at the Makera Office.
What has been the management's response to the protest?
As of this report, efforts to reach any management member of Kaduna Electric have been unsuccessful.
