• Blame banks for AEDC’s woes

A fortnight ago, Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) sent over 800 workers back to the labour market, an action that is indicative of a company in distress. But there’s an alibi by the consumers who claimed that AEDC’s woes were caused by the bank who gave it loans.

The consumers alleged that the banks have no consideration for the well-being of Nigerians. National president, Association for Public Policy Analysis (APPA) and director, Consumer Protection Advocacy Centre, Chief Princewill Okorie, submitted: “If you see the way banks are operating in Nigeria, there’s no consideration for the well-being of Nigerians.

“All their interest is about making money. And they make the money anyhow. That’s what they have done to the power sector. There’s no how these DisCos can perform well under the grip of these banks. And that’s why you see the way they operate.”

Nigerian youths also took a swipe on AEDC, describing the DisCo’s action as insensitive and a direct assault on the survival of hundreds of Nigerian families. President General, Coalition of Nigerian Youth Leaders (CONYL), Goodluck Ibem, said: “The mass disengagement, is coming at a time of severe economic hardship, high inflation, and rising unemployment.

“Against this backdrop, there is need for urgent reversal of the retrenchment. Most of those affected are breadwinners, whose incomes support entire households. Throwing 800 skilled and experienced Nigerians into the saturated labour market without adequate justification or alternatives is a cruel blow that will increase poverty, insecurity, and social instability.

“We, therefore, call on the AEDC management to immediately reconsider and reverse the mass sack in the interest of national stability and economic justice. We urge President Bola Tinubu to intervene with urgency and ensure that Nigerians are not unjustly punished under his administration.

“We remind corporate organisations and multinationals that social responsibility must go hand-in-hand with profit, especially at a time when many citizens are struggling to survive. Nigeria needs job creation, not job loss.

“We cannot preach patriotism and expect peace when companies continue to inflict economic pain on citizens. The survival of Nigerian families must come first.”