THE Federal Government is expected to verify 1,630 workers of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), retirees and their next of kin (Noks) for the final verification of this category of persons which commenced on Monday at the three centres of Lagos, Kaduna and Benin.
In a statement, the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) said the exercise was holding in six centres. It explained that 823 are with biometrics while 807 are in database.
“A team from the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), Nigerian Electricity Liability Management Limited (NELMCO), and National Pension Commission who are conducting the exercise at the three centres reported the impressive turn out which was devoid of hitches and security challenges.
“At the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN), 67, Adelabu Street, Akangba, Surelure, venue for the Lagos centre, those to be verified turned up as early as 8:30AM and after being addressed by the Leader of the verification team, Mr. Mohmud Adam of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, the exercise commenced in earnest with the team members assisting those who had issues filling their claims. At the end of the first day of the exercise by 5pm, over 40 persons had been attended to.
“At the Benin Centre where the exercise is holding at the Bishop Kelly Pastoral Centre, 30, Airport Road, those to be verified turned up as early as 8am. Leader of the team, Mrs. Martina Omojola of the BPE in her address, reminded them that it was the final exercise and meant for only those who had not been paid their retirement and pension benefits. She read out the requirements to them and by 8:45am, the exercise commenced with the assistance of security personnel and other supporting staff. Over 20 people were screened on the first day.
“Also at the Kaduna Electric Head Office, venue for the Kaduna Centre, the exercise was reported to be peaceful and without hitches.
“The exercise will run at the three Centres from Monday to Friday this week. The next phase will commence on Monday, October 10 to October 14, 2016 in Port Harcourt and Bauchi while the last phase would be from October 19- 21, 2016 at Merit House, Abuja.”
Tag: PHCN workers
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Fed Govt to verify 1,630 PHCN workers, retirees
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Over 5,000 PHCN workers owed gratuity, other entitlements
• Union accuse DisCos, GenCos of under-declaring profits
Two years after the handover of the 18 successor companies of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) to new core investors under the privatisation exercise, over 5, 000 disengaged workers of the defunct power firm are yet to be paid their gratuity, severance and other entitlements, the General Secretary, the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) Comrade Joe Ajaero, has said.
Comrade Ajaero, who is also Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) factional leader, accused government of reneging on its promise to pay the gratuity and pension arrears of PHCN workers two years after privatisation. “As we speak, government has not fulfilled its obligation to pay the gratuity and pension of PHCN workers because each of the about 50, 000 staff of PHCN has one case or the other,” he said.
The labour leader said, for instance, apart from the fact that over 1, 000 death benefits are yet to be paid to the next-of-kin of workers who died in active service, many former PHCN workers are yet to be paid their leave bonuses by government. Others are also yet to get their housing rent, which, before privatisation was usually paid once a year.
“We pay bulk housing once in a year. So, if your monthly housing is N10, 000 nobody will pay you the N10, 000 at the end of the month; they will pay you N120, 000 either at the beginning or at the end of the year depending on the category you fall to enable people pay house rent in bulk. So, many people fall under this category and they have not paid them,” Comrade Ajaero stated.
He also accused the new core investors, the electricity distribution and generating companies (DisCos and GenCos) of short changing the Federal Government through under-declaration of profits and arbitrary tariff increase.
“They investors are saying they are not making profits and they keep on increasing tariff so that they will equally not allow government to get its own 40 per cent. The 10 per cent meant for the workers, which is contained in the Privatisation Act, that the workers or employees will get equity share of 10 per cent has not been forthcoming two years after yet you are liquidating,” he said.
Comrade Ajaero said aside the fact that the new investors asked for tariff increase a month or two before privatisation so that they will make profits and government conceded that to them, government has also even been subsidising their operation.
“Those people are not telling you the truth if they say they are not making profits. If they say they are not making profits it is to make sure they under-declare what they have. Tell them I said they are making maxi1mum profit and I stand to be corrected, but they are under-declaring it. The reason is to make sure they don’t pay the real tax,” he alleged.
He expressed regrets that government’s failure to meet its obligation with regard to the payment of workers’ entitlements despite signing agreement with the union around June 2012. According to him, peoples’ entitlements were calculated up to that month.
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You lied on our status, entitlements, PHCN workers accuse Igali
Some workers of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) are up in arms against the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Power, Ambassador Godknows Igali, over his recent comments before the Senate Committee probing the power sector that those claiming to be casual workers of the organisation “are mere personal staff with no proof of evidence to back up their appointments.”
Igali was further reported to have told the Committee that the workers would not be paid their entitlements due to the non-regularisation of their appointments.
But speaking at a press conference in Oyo, the defunct PHCN casual workers numbering about 500 described Igali as “wicked, unreasonable and a pathological liar”.
The workers are from 22 districts of the Ibadan zonal headquarters comprising Oyo, Ogun, Osun and part of Jebba in Kwara State.
At the press conference addressed by their President, Comrade Rasheed Olawunmi, said contrary to Igali’s position, a meeting was held on October 31, 2013 between officials of the federal government and representatives of labour unions, including the National Union of Electricity Employees to resolve outstanding labour issues ahead of handover of assets of the PHCN to private owners.
He said: “At the meeting personally attended by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Power, it was unanimously agreed amongst others that a total of 2,500 workers were casual workers within the PHCN system as identified by the Presidential Committee set up by the last administration nationwide. Not only that, the meeting also resolved that the issue of uncleared casuals should be treated on compassionate basis.”
Olawunmi disclosed that when the list of verified casual workers was eventually released to the zonal headquarters for payment and regularisation, the Ibadan zone alone got a total of 1,000 casual workers.
He added, “But rather than complying with the government directive, the then Chief Executive Officer of Ibadan zonal headquarters deliberately handpicked only 500 names out of the 1,000 sent to him by the government for payment and regularisation of appointments, thus leaving behind the remaining 500 casual workers, who are yet to receive their entitlements. All complaints and protests yielded no positive results.
“We were employed like every other employee in the company and placed on contract and casual basis. We were issued with appointment letters backed up with the promise of being regularised some day. We were interviewed in 2009, biometrically captured in 2011 and verified in 2012. Some of us were issued letters of regularisation of employment in April, 2012.The then management admitted to have omitted several names which it attributed to the delay in releasing the remaining letters. The error, as admitted by the then management, had not been rectified till today.
“What is more worrisome and disturbing is the denial of the Permanent Secretary before the Senate Committee that there were no identified casual workers entitled to any payments or benefits. The Permanent Secretary was a signatory to the communiqué issued at the end of the meeting two years ago.”
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FG spends N360bn on PHCN workers’ benefits
The Federal Government on Tuesday said it had spent more than N360 billion on the payment of severance benefits to workers of the defunct Power Holding company of Nigeria (PHCN).
The Director-General, Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE), Mr. Benjamin Dikki said this in a chat with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
He said the payment was in accordance with the agreement to settle the severance benefits to the affected workers.
Dikki said that at the beginning of the privatization process, the budgeted cost for the settlement of labour liabilities in the sector was put at N401 billion.
“The BPE contributed N315.6 billion from the sale of PHCN asset, while the Federal Government provides N45 billion to bring the amount so far remitted to more than N360 billion.
“It would be recalled that the federal government had demonstrated great commitment in resolving labour issues in the power sector reform and privatization.
“ From the beginning, it had committed the entire proceeds realised from the sales of the power assets to the payment of the worker’s terminal benefits.
“ The N360 billion so far spent was forwarded to the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to settle 51,247 PHCN Staff, both active and retired,’’ he said.
Dikki also said that of the 51,247 workers, 47,913 were active staff, and 3,334 were retired staff of the company.
The Director-General said 2,158 staff, comprising casual workers and those not properly documented, were yet to be settled.
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Defer handing over of PHCN to investors, TUC tells FG
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Wednesday called on the Federal Government to defer the proposed handover date of Power Holding Company of Nigeria’s successor companies to their new owners until all agreements with the unions are met.
The government had proposed November 1 as the date for the handover of the successor companies to their new investors.
TUC’s Deputy Secretary-General, Mr. Simeso Amachree, made the call in a chat with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.
He said: “It will be unfair if the government go ahead with the hand over, without first settling all the workers.
“What is the hurry about? We are not opposed to privatisation if it is in the best interest of Nigerians and the country.
“But the workers must be paid their entitlements before the handover, ’’ he said.
Amachree said the government must be seen to deal fairly and transparently with the workers, to avoid unpleasant consequences.
“We will not hesitate to call out our other affiliates in other sectors to join in the struggle, because an injury to one is an injury to all,’’ he warned.
Amachree said the unions would engage in peaceful and legal means to compel the government to honour its agreement with them.
“We have decided to stage protests and eventually embark on total strike, if the government reneges on its agreement,’’ he said.
NAN reports that the contending issues include the non-payment of retirement savings to pension fund administrators and non-remittance of dues of two per cent deducted from workers’ salaries to the unions.
Others are the non-payment of benefits of retirees who disengaged in 2011, non-regularisation of the service of some casual workers and the non-payment of the severance package to some of the workers.
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Disengaged PHCN workers threaten blackout over severance pay
Electricity workers under the aegis of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), have threatened blackout the entire country if the Federal Government fails to settle their entitlements.
NUEE General Secretary, Comrade Joe Ajaero, who this in Jos yesterday, said the union has uncovered a plot by the government to use the military to eject its members from office, warning that “any station the Federal Government moves in with force, without settling labour issues, should be shutdown.
“We have been patient enough and we cannot continue to be patient while they are driving us to the grave. I am saying that enough of this provocation,” stressing that no amount of “military presence will make us to abandon our entitlement, because it is not by power or might. We are not going to get there with gun or knife, but the soldiers will be there and there will be darkness in this country.
“They have even written letters, when they come with those military men. Unfortunately, those signing those letters are not the people that employed you; I told them that one has legal implication.”
Ajaero said that PHCN staff were yet to receive their pension component, saying it was unfortunate that the public is being misinformed that PHCN staff have been paid about N400billion entitlements they are being owed.
Ajaero, who is also the Deputy National President of Nigeria Labour Congress said, the government spent $11billion in constructing the power plants and $16billion was spent on the same power plants during the regime of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, but unfortunately the power plants were sold for $3billion.
Also speaking the Secretary of NUEE North-East zone, Anthony Sule, said, “As I speak to you, I cover North-East zone, no worker in both Jos Zonal Office and Jos Business Unit has been paid, incidentally Jos Business Unit is about the largest in this zone, all the other business units of Benue, Gombe and Bauchi there are still pockets of payments left undone.
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Govt to pay off PHCN workers this month
Minister of Power Prof. Chinedu Nebo, said yesterday that the Federal Government would complete the payment of severance allowance of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) workers before the end of this month.
Nebo spoke at the thanksgiving service of Nsukka Anglican Diocese marking the end of its 2013 Synod in Nsukka.
He said that government was working round the clock to ensure that all authenticated PHCN staff received their severance allowance so as to end any form of protest from those involved.
“Government is working hard to ensure that all staff of PHCN are settled before the end of October. For now what government has given the companies that acquired PCNC are licenses and share certificates.
“The physical hander over of PHCN will take place in some weeks to come,’’ he said.
The minister said that the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan had invested much and was committed to ensure that Nigerians enjoyed steady power supply.
“By God’s special grace by the next six months there will be double in the country’s generation capacity and by the end of 2014 the amount of megawatts generated will be fully transmitted.
“I must tell Nigerians that there are better days ahead as the country will witness great improvement in power the sector,’’ he said.
On slow pace of work at Nru NIPP project Nsukka, the minister urged the people of Nsukka to write to enable him know the level that the work had gone so that he could communicate with those in charge of the project.
“I am not a spirit to know what is happening everywhere, but soon as I get the report I will act appropriately.”
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PHCN workers kick as Jonathan gives licences to new owners
Amid protests, the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) died yesterday.
In its place rose 18 successor campanies, 15 of which got licences and shares certificates from the Federal Government.
President Goodluck Jonathan, joined by Vice-President Namadi Sambo, who is also the Chairman of the National Council on Privatisation, presented the certificates.
The privatised generating companies are Geregu Power Plc, Ughelli Power Plc, Egbin Power Plc, Kainji Hydro Electric Plc and and Shiroro Hydro Electric Power Plc.
The 10 privatised distribution companies (Discos) are located in Abuja, Benin, Eko, Ibadan, Ikeja, Jos, Kano, Port-Harcourt, Yola and Enugu.
The three PHCN successor companies that are yet to be handed over are located in Afam, Kaduna and Sapele.
The government, however, deferred the physical takeover of the firms by the new owners to enable it complete the payment of workers’ entitlements — an issue that sparked massive protests yesterday.
Jonathan said: “To the Nigerian people who have demonstrated such great patience and confidence, putting up often with darkness, noisy power-generating sets, the related pollution and daily disruptions in their lives, I say better days are coming.
“We do not expect the sector to be revitalised overnight, but we can all look forward to a better time very soon as we have seen in the telecommunication and banking sectors.
“I am confident that the power sector will promise no less, knowing the caliber of those who are taking over.
“Today, we embark on a journey, a journey that will usher us to a destination of enduring gain and fulfillment,’’ he said.
Jonathan said the ceremony was a milestone in the nation’s journey from a public-owned and -operated electricity sector to an industry driven by private sector.
Sambo said the event marked another major landmark in the transformation agenda of Jonathan’s administration.
He praised international development partners such as USAID, DFID, the World Bank Group and AfDB for keeping faith with the process.
Sambo said: “ The new owners of the generation companies are expected to build up capacity from the present levels of performance to additional 5,000mw within a period of five years.
“This promise has been captured clearly in the performance agreement that the new owners have with the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) which will be monitored by the regulator.”
Director General, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Benjamin Dikki, said Kaduna Distribution Company and Afam Generation Company had to undergo a second bid process since no bidder qualified in the first process.
Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, said he was delighted to report the level of participation of Nigerian financial institution which provided over 70% of funds needed for the acquisition of the assets.
He added that “I understand that the international development partners accredited to Nigeria have coined a special phraseology for our process-simultaneous sequentiality.”
According to the minister, the Nigerian Electricity Industry has been transformed into a regulated environment.
Speaking on PHCN workers, Nebo said “Accordingly, out of 47,614 PHCN workers who were identified, we have completed the biometrics capture and related validation of 45,156 workers. As at today, the severance benefits of majority of that number have been paid while others are being processed. The payment of severance and pension will continue throughout the month of October.
“Nebo added: “I can say that the physical handover has not been made because we need to complete that first. We are not going to physically handover until everyone of them is fully taken care of.
“Most of them have now received their severance package but we also need to pay pension package. So severance package will be given to everyone of them and their pension benefits will be credited into their PFA accounts. Once that is done we know that the severance is complete and then we can physically handover to all these private companies.
“These things take time. It is something of hundreds of billions of naira. It is not easy just to wake up and have all these monies paid by any bank, it will cause a run on the bank. So we have been doing all the due diligence required to take care of that.”
On the Nigerian Electricity Management Company (NELMCO, the Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Yerima Lawan Ngama, announced that the Federal government is in the process of reviewing and scaling down the liabilities of PHCN by NELMCO.
He said the Ministry of Finance has raised $350million from the Eurobond for the revitalization of the Transmission Company of Nigeria.
Ngama said that the securitisation process would be of benefit to the private investors from the World Bank security risk guarantee of$135million is in place in the 2013 budget.
Group Managing Director Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Andrew Yakubu noted that domestic gas supply has grown to 1.500 million cubic feet per day from an average of 900,000 cubic feet per day in 2010.
This, according to him, is a growth of about 72% in the period under consideration.
He promised that following the corporation’s plan, there will be sufficient gas supply in areas where there are industrial activities.
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FG begins payment of PHCN workers’ severance package
The Office Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) has commenced the payment of N34.585 billion to 3,938 staff of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).
The affected workers are those of Generation Companies (GENCO) and the PHCN Headquarters.
According to an official of the Implementation Committee on the settlement of PHCN staff terminal benefits headed by Godswill Igali, names of the affected staff had been forwarded to the OAGF for payment.
The official noted that “as at August 5, another 16,366 staff of the Distribution Companies (DISCOs) had been cleared by the auditors and are ready for onward transmission to the OAGF for payment and the amount is N84.5 billion.”
The official added that, “so far 20,304 workers have been cleared. Hopefully, more staff would be cleared by the auditors before the end of this week as it is a continuous process.”
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PHCN workers reject N45b severance package
… Boycott meeting with FG
Workers in the Power Holding Company of Nigeria have asked the Federal Government to explain the reasons it now decided to pay N45 billion as their severance package against the N384 billion it earlier promised.
The President General, Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC), Mr. Bede Opara, made the demand in a chat with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Wednesday.
Opara said the workers recently received a letter to that effect from the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE).
He said the salary scale used in computing their gratuity was not the salary scale agreed with the Technical and Negotiation Team under the leadership of the Secretary to Government of the Federation.
The SSAEAC president told NAN that the unions had nothing to negotiate with the government any more.
He advised the Ministry of Power to ensure that all labour issues were addressed to enable the workers to get their entitlements in time.
NAN reports that the unions, on Tuesday, boycotted the meeting of a committee set up by the ministry on the payment of severance benefits.
The Minister, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, had announced that the committee would be inaugurated on Tuesday.
“There is nothing to negotiate with the government again because we have finished negotiation since December 12, 2012.
“What we think we are here for is the implementation of the agreement reached with the government’s representatives,” Opara stressed.
He contended that the technical committee earlier set up on the matter should be allowed to continue its work.
“The technical committee comprising Alexander Forbes, Bureau of Public Enterprises, PHCN and the in-house unions should be allowed to continue with their responsibility.
“This committee will ensure that accurate amount is given to each PHCN worker at the end of the day,” he said.