The smooth transition in the power sector envisaged by the Federal Government, local and foreign investors may be farfetched as the workers of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria have threatened to withdraw their services from Wednesday.
The shutdown threat is if President Goodluck goes ahead with the scheduled handover of the privatised power firms to the new today (Monday).
The National Union of Electricity Employees, in a statement on Sunday, protested the planned handover, saying several labour issues had not been settled.
It, therefore, said if the government continued with its action, the PHCN workers would not be able to guarantee electricity supply after Wednesday, October 2, 2013.
The union said in a statement signed by its General Secretary, Mr. Joe Ajaero, “Because of the Independence Day ceremonies, we will be patient to allow for full celebrations. However, we hereby urge Nigerians to bear with us if after October 2, 2013 the government goes ahead with her illicit handover to the investors in a forceful takeover; the implication will be that the workers would have technically been asked to withdraw their services and we may not be able to guarantee smooth operations.
“Consequently, if after October 2, 2013, the office of the Vice-President fails to correct this misleading information, we shall not guarantee supply of electricity in the country. This is not a threat as our earlier ultimatum has expired.”
The union listed issues that were not resolved to include the non-conclusion of payment of terminal benefits to the workers; non-payment of retirement savings to the workers’ Pension Fund Administrators; and non-remittance of two per cent of the union deductions as agreed.
Others are non-payment of retirees who disengaged from the PHCN since 2011, non-regularisation of the casual workers already identified, failure to give the workers 10 per cent equity shareholding and shortfall of terminal benefits from June 2012 till date.
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Public Enterprises said in a statement issued by the Head of Public Communications, Mr. Chigbo Anichebe, in Abuja on Sunday, the handover of share certificates to the investors by the President was part of the activities to celebrate the nation’s Independence anniversary.
It also said a total of $2,525,824,534 (about N403bn) was realised as privatisation proceeds in the sale of the 14 successor companies carved out of the PHCN.
Of the amount, it said $1.256bn came from the distribution companies, while the generation companies provided $1.269bn.
It added that the Federal Government had set aside about N384bn out of the proceeds to settle outstanding labour liabilities.
The Director-General of BPE, Mr. Benjamin Dikki, was quoted as saying that the handover was a culmination of 14 years of painstaking efforts by the National Council on Privatisation, the BPE and other key stakeholders to reform and liberalise the country’s electricity industry.
The NCP chaired by Vice-President Namadi Sambo had recently ratified the payment made by the core investors, including the sale of the controversial Enugu Electricity Distribution Company to Interstate Electrics Limited.
The EEDC deal had turned controversial following the failure of Interstate, the preferred bidder, to meet the August 21 deadline given by the BPE.
The reserve bidder, Eastern Electric Nigeria Limited, had gone to court to press for the right to be invited to acquire the electricity distribution company.
However, the NCP decided that Interstate and North South Power should pay the penalty for late payment for the EEDC and Shiroro Power Plc, respectively
Punch
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