KADUNA Electricity Distribution Company, otherwise known as Kaduna Electric has reiterated that it followed a rigorous evaluation procedure in assessing its staff most of whom were confirmed and few others sacked for incompetence. This was coming on the heel of allegation by the company’s in-house unions, the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), North-West Zone and Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Company� expressing reservation on the way and manner their members are being ‘sacked’.
The Head Corporate Communications of the Company, Abdulazeez Abdullahi, disclosed this at a press conference in Kaduna that more than 90% of the workers have been confirmed while a negligible percentage that failed to measure up to the basic requirements of the company were laid off. He said also that some staff were put on a six months probation to give them a chance to improve their performance.
Adding that with the confirmation exercise over, the company is poised growth as it will soon unveil a comprehensive training plan to enhance staff skills and productivity. The spokesman of the company said the confirmation exercise was delayed because of the tedious nature of the exercise that included a verification of the academic qualifications of its about 3,000 workforce. Abdullahi revealed that the Management has, in the spirit of wider consultation, submitted a draft condition of service to the electricity workers union for its input over a month ago and the Union is yet to revert back to the Company.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the management to constructive engagement with the organized labour Union and other stakeholders alike to move the company forward. However, the Assistant Secretary General, North West of the Union, Mr. Moses Amedu while addressing yet another press conference in Kaduna accused the Management of the Company of laying down some workers unjustifiably. The union also wants the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the company Engineer Garba Haruna to brace up and address all the anomalies or face ‘industrial disharmony’. The union noted that “On 1st February, 2017 the Management of Kaduna Electric decided to confirm only 20% of the employees terminates 60% and placed 20% on additional probationary period of 6 Month, after 16 month on probation since assumption of their duty.
“On the basis of purported faulty criteria using performance, conduct and competence test as reasons for termination. Series of demands were made by the respective inhouse unions demanding for this confirmation without response. “This activity of the Company negates the desire of the Federal Government to sustain employment and generate employment in this Country. The Management of Kaduna Electric under the MD/CEO runs the company with Zero funding. If no funding what type of performance are we expecting? “All the recently installed pre-payment meters in customers houses were not calibrated, hence customers are charged exorbitantly Since the taking over of Kaduna Electric in December, 2014 no working material was procured.”