By Ayodele Oni
For owing them 88 months outstanding pension arrears, former employees of Kaduna Electric Distribution Company have staged a peaceful protest at the company’s headquarters in Kaduna, demanding the immediate payment of their entitlements.
The aggrieved ex-staff, who were disengaged in 2025, carried placards with inscriptions such as “Kaduna Electric, you violated your condition of service,” “Pay us our 88 months outstanding pension arrears,” and “Our children are out of school due to non-payment of our entitlements.”
Speaking to journalists during the protest, the group’s spokesperson and former staff in the Human Resources Department, Mrs. Christiana Ambi, said the management of Kaduna Electric acted unjustly by refusing to honour the terms of service used to disengage them.
According to her, the company cited its condition of service in terminating their appointments, but failed to abide by the same policy when settling their entitlements.
She explained that the condition of service clearly stipulates that staff that served between five and nine years are entitled to proportional benefits, while those who served nine years and above should receive 35 percent of their full emoluments per annum.
“Many of us have put in nine years and above, yet Kaduna Electric is insisting on paying us only 20 percent, which contradicts the agreement. It is unfair and unacceptable.”
Ambi further disclosed that several meetings had been held between the disengaged staff, the management of Kaduna Electric, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, where discussions were centered on modalities for payment.
Despite these meetings, she said, no concrete action had been taken by the company.
“We even learnt that Kaduna Electric received a bailout from the Federal Government to clear our arrears, but nothing has been paid to us. Instead, they keep holding endless meetings without results.”
Ambi lamented that the prolonged non-payment of benefits has left many former workers and their families in severe hardship.
“Our children are out of school, and some of us are battling health challenges without support. We gave years of service to this company; it’s only fair we are treated with dignity.
The protesters also questioned the rationale behind Kaduna Electric’s continued recruitment of new staff despite claiming financial incapacity to pay those already disengaged.
“If the company says it cannot pay us, why is it employing new workers and paying their salaries?”
She called on the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, and the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Kaduna Electric, Dr. Abubakar Umar Hashidu, to urgently intervene and ensure that justice is served.
The protesters vowed to sustain their demonstrations until the management settles all outstanding entitlements and provides a clear breakdown of payments made so far.
They emphasized that their demand is not just for money but also for fairness, accountability, and respect for workers’ rights.
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