Sacked TCN Worker Suffers Renal Disease, Appeals for Reinstatement

By Victor Ogunje

A staff member of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Mr. Babatunde Tebu, has appealed to the federal government agency to consider his reabsorption into the service in order to raise funds to seek medical treatment for renal failure.

In the letter entitled: ‘Save My Soul’, Tebu, who had been sacked over offence bothering on dereliction of duty,  appealed to the TCN Managing Director, Mr. Suleman Abdulazis, to show compassion and save him from imminent death.

Tebu said he is presently suffering from kidney problem leading to his hospitalisation at the Afe Babaola University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti.

In the letter dated August 14, 2021, which was addressed to the MD and made available to journalists yesterday, Tebu revealed that he was sacked on June 21, 2020, by the Assistant General Manager, Benin region, over offence relating to alleged dereliction of duty.

He said he had spent over a million of naira on the ailment presently afflicting him, and that he faces imminent death if the sickness is allowed to persist without treatment.

The ailing man, who is presently hospitalised at the ABUAD multisystem hospital in Ado Ekiti, Ekit State, disclosed that he joined the TCN on February 14, 1997, and began his career at the Osogbo, Osun State 330/132/33kv area control centre.

He said he had served the company diligently and that the offence relating to alleged  dereliction of duty, which led to his sack, should be looked into having written an apology letter to TCN, pleading  for clemency.

According to him, “On January9, 2020, I was to relieve a colleague on duty, but I came late and the report got to our AGM in Benin-city. I was queried, which I answered. I also faced an ad hoc committee set up by TCN in February 2020.

“On June19, 2020, I was called to report at our Benin office where I was given a letter of termination of employment. I had written apology letter to our Benin office pleading for clemency.

“Sir, I am pleading with you to reabsorb me because life has never been easy with me. Right now, I am writing this letter from my sick bed at Afe Babalola University Teaching Hospital where I am treating kidney problem.

“I have spent over a million naira. I paid N56,000 every month for my dialysis  and drugs running into thousands.

“My children are still young and one of them just gained admission into the

Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko in Ondo State, to study Microbiology.

“I promise to be of good behaviour, and the offence I committed will never repeat itself again. I had served TCN for close to 23 years, and I never had a blemished record.”