The Federal Government yesterday handed over the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, and the 14 successor companies created following the unbundling of the PHCN to their individual new owners across the country in spite of threats by the former workers to cause crises during the ceremony across the country.
The handover ceremonies took place in Abuja, Enugu, Egbin, Eko, Ikeja, Benin, Kaduna and Jos simultaneously.
The Vice President, Mohammed Namadi Sambo, said that yesterday’s handover marked the concluding stage of the transaction for the four generation and 10 distribution companies.
Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, who performed the official physical handover of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company to its new owner, Kann Utility Consortium Nigeria Limited, at a ceremony in Abuja noted that the government had successfully paid most of the former PHCN workers their severance and pension packages.
“Already, N360 billion has been paid out. The remaining N30 billion or so is in the pipeline and all the issues of certification, biometric capture and making sure that clearance is done are being completed,’’ he said.
Nebo explained that the Federal Government and the two key workers’ union leaders in the sector reached an agreement on Thursday to peacefully handover the power firms to their new owners.
According to him, “agreements have been reached. Please never in the history of this country has a government kept its word in issues like this as has been demonstrated by the present administration.
“Government is on it and the date has been fixed for some as November 15, while November 30 is for others. I have given my word and I am saying that no worker will be short-changed.”
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/11/fg-dissolves-phcn-pays-workers-n360bn/#sthash.uqfgnRex.dpuf
Post a Comment