SaharaReporters gathered that the workers stormed the Marina office as early as 5 am on Thursday.
The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has picketed the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) headquarters in Marina, Lagos over an alleged attempt to cover up corruption in the company.
SaharaReporters gathered that the workers stormed the Marina office as early as 5 am on Thursday.
The union accused the management of the company of collaborating with the board members to perpetrate corruption, which it said would eventually ruin the establishment.
In January, SaharaReporters reported that the light of the electricity distribution company was being threatened by a dark web of corruption.
The report noted that Eko DISCO as it is also called, had been facing issues of inadequacies and the absence of optimal service provision for some time, with customers often complaining about the company’s inefficiencies and struggles.
An investigation showed that the company’s struggles had been partly caused by a significant level of corruption going on in the organisation, which involved top management staff members.
The staff members linked to the infractions were accused of aiding ghost workers in the company and earning millions of Naira from the dubious dealings.
Sources who spoke to SaharaReporters on condition of anonymity revealed that the exact amount of money the management staff members fleeced from the company could not be ascertained. However, they alleged that it would be between N150 million and N300 million with a hefty chunk of it linked to one Wola Joseph, the EKEDP’s Chief Legal Officer (CLO).
Sources told SaharaReporters that some time ago, Wola was linked to the employment of a family friend who presented a fake certificate. Sources said she was the company’s Chief HR at the time and despite the knowledge of the board of the company, the matter was swept under the carpet. The board members of the company include Dere Otubu, who is the Chairman.
According to sources, some members of the board had been shielding Wola and preventing any form of corruption investigation from getting to her, despite complaints from company workers and evidence linking her to some atrocities.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, one of the protesters who spoke with SaharaReporters said the company exonerated the Chief Legal Officer (CLO), Mrs Wola, who was alleged to be the chief culprit in the corruption saga.
He said, "It is widely rumoured that the board members have tactically exonerated the Chief Legal Officer, CLO, Mrs Wola, who was alleged to be the chief culprit in the corruption saga.
"The union’s action was a result of the board members' failure to come up with a report on the matter after the expiration of the ultimatum issued to them to come out with the report on the matter as earlier promised by the board.
"As a result of dwindling cash collection in Eko Electricity Distribution company, the management could only pay the allowances of the Principal Manager and above as salaries at the end of February - a situation that has never happened in the history of the establishment.”
“That is the extent to which the corruption by the present management in collaboration with the board members of the company has gone and it will eventually ruin the establishment," he added.