Federal Secretariat Blackout: Workers Cry Out Over Persistent Power Outage
It is expected that since the Head of Service Office complex located at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja hosts ministries, top government agencies and parastatals, workers in the complex would have a reasonable share of the improved electricity supply, but, the reverse is the case.
When LEADERSHIP visited Block C, D and E Complex of the Head of Service which has the Ministry of Science and Technology, Culture and Tourism and also the Bureau of Public Service Reform (BPSR) The Presidency, and Ministry of Youth Development, it was discovered that the office complex has been experiencing prolonged blackout for over two months.
The development has subjected the workers whose offices are on the top floors of the buildings to endless stress of using the staircase up to the 11th floors on a daily basis.
According to the head of Maintenance in one of the ministries in Block E, who pleaded anonymity, the office of the Head of Service was supposed to have the sole responsibility of paying utility bills for the entire office complex, but, could not continue because their budget could not carry the expenses.
“But, by right the Head of Service is in charge of all these estate, the utility bill is supposed to be from them. But, since the ministries have agreed to contribute their quota, to make sure that the thing works, but things are not working. Because, for more than two months Block D, E and some part of C have no electricity. They restored the light last week for three days, and it went off again, and since then till today, we are in darkness.
“Although, there is a power generator that could carry the entire complex, but, the complex cannot fund it, because, the generator is a four series one.”
He said that the generator consumes a lot of diesel, saying that, “If the generator is put on for an hour, it would consume about 10 drums of diesel, not to talk of the entire day’s job.”
He further said that since the office of Head of Service has its own generator which does not have the capacity to carry the entire complex, it lives on that without being affected by the persistent blackout, saying that the present electricity situation was not the same when the Head of Service was in charge of the general maintenance of the entire complex.
“You can see me sitting down doing nothing in the office, but, as the Head of Maintenance, I am supposed to be running around looking for solution, making sure that the offices are okay. But, it is not possible, since there is no light and the situation is beyond me. We have offices up to the 11th floor on Block E and this Block D. How do the staff work when there is no electricity?
“Will some of them that have offices on the top floors come and sit down on the basement without going up? It is not possible. If something could be done, that would rescue the complex from this great sufferings, we will be very glad. Even the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has the same problem.
“We were told last week that the power was disconnected because of money owed the power distribution company. But, my Ministry has paid. Last time they paid N5million, they paid more than N2million. The only ministry that was owing on Block D, as I heard, was the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, which is owing over N3million then, but I cannot say if they have paid, but others have paid. So, I do not think it is only about electricity bill, the distribution company should be blamed for all these mess,” he said.
Mr. Matthew Chukwuemeka, a staff member of one of the ministries in Block D, lamented that the workers are suffering, because of the persistent power failure, saying that activities in most offices have almost been paralysed for the past two months, since there is no electricity to power computer systems and operate the elevators that take staff to the highest floors and that the staff are subjected to work in the dark, using their phones as torch light.
“We are really suffering here. The truth is that I do not know what the ministers in the ministries affected are doing, because, they go to meeting at the Head of Service, and they also go for ministerial meetings. All the ministers are here, even my minister is here, Culture and Tourism minister is here, Science and Technology is also here and all other ministers. Special Advisers to the President are all here in Block C. So, they know about this situation and I do not know why the situation persists.
“But, I am not sure it is because of paying bills, there must be something wrong. Either the people in charge of distributing powers are not working, because, I do not see why I should be a technician or an Engineer, I will not be able to identify the fault affecting electricity supply or probably some people are trying to sabotage the government. If you go to almost all the ministries, they are using generators. This place could be identified as annex to the presidential villa, there is supposed to be constant electricity supply.
“How can we continue like this, it is not possible. The company supply electricity is the one to be held responsible for the epileptic power supply in all government agencies, because, it is not supposed to be like this. How can I have electricity in my house at Mararaba and there is not light in the city centre. It is sabotage. Because, the government has done so much to improve the power sector, but, they are still sabotaging government’s effort to improve on the power sector,” he said.
Haruna Imrana, Director Communications for Head of the Civil Service of the Federation explained that the office of the Head of Service has played its role adequately to ensure that things are in order in the entire complex, and it is trying as much as possible to see to the adequate maintenance, in terms of security, water supply and others, saying that since the responsibility has been shared to pay utility bills, there is no need for any ministry to lag behind in their responsibilities.
Reacting to persistent power failure, the Business Manager of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, Engr. Mike Ezugwu said that the previous power situation at the Head of Service complex was as a result of a fire outbreak at Apo district, which destroyed most of the electricity installations some time ago, saying that work on the affected installation is still in progress.
“But, sometimes there are faults from connection that would result to power failure. For me, presently, I do not have electricity light in my house at Area 2, section 1. You know that the connection that leads to the Federal Secretariat is an underground cable, anything thing could happen in the underground, until we carry out the repair to restore it.
“Faults occur in every power supply situation. Some of the offices may be owing, but, I do not think their light is disconnected because they are owing money. From our end in the office, I do not think they are disconnected. It is a normal routine sometimes, because, faults could occur on the lines, as a lot of things cause fault to occur,” he said.
Ezugwu, however stressed on the need for occupants of the Head of Service complex to pay their electricity bills, because, they need to sustain the services of the power distributors, saying that even if the persistent power failure was not as a result of disconnection, if consumers fail to pay their electricity bill, they are bound to face disconnection.
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