by Nnamdi Ikeagu
The National Union of Electricity Employees, an affiliate of the NLC has expressed its ejection of the use of nuclear power to generate electricity in Nigeria. This was in response to ongoing discussions between the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission and Rosatom Corporation, a Russian firm. The union’s General Secretary, Joe Ajaero made this clear in a press statement issued in the second week of April. He observed that all over the world, the dangers of nuclear powered generation of power have become clearer.
He referred to the tragic nuclear accident in Fukushima, Japan, which led the German government to reverse its nuclear policy with the aim of phasing out all nuclear power plants by 2022. Further, in Japan, as he observed, a court has issued an injunction against efforts to restart two nuclear plants in the west of the country, based on the disaster of Fukushima.
He argued for greater emphasis to be placed on completing abandoned turbine power projects instead of the idea of nuclear generation of power with its attendant probability of catastrophe for poor working people. There is the need though, to go beyond condemnation of this atrocious agenda of the Nigerian state. In Germany, the state did not reverse its nuclear policy out of compassion. It took mass mobilisation by working people through demonstrations and petitions to “stop the nukes”. This is the time for mass protests against the introduction of nuclear power in Nigeria, for the sake of our lives and good health.
