The Nation Newspaper

Tag: PHCN

  • PHCN privatisation and its aftermath

    SIR: There is light at the end of the tunnel as the long and tortuous journey to privatisation of Power Holding Company of Nigeria came to its expected logical conclusion on October 31. The handover which made major headlines in national dailies and beamed on broadcast media stations across Nigeria has left many wondering whether this new development will bring a one-in-all cure to the ills in the power sector. It is expected in this private sector driven era that the new investors will provide qualitative services, while carefully counting on their return on investment.

    Every business comes with its peculiar challenges and the challenges in the power sector do not begin or end with this privatisation. The available megawatts of energy presently powering our homes and industries are a far cry from the expectation of Nigerians. The transmission network is dilapidated, weak and cannot comfortably wheel already generated energy to distribution companies.

    Endemic corruption which has eaten deep into the fabric of our society should be addressed under the new regime. Metering of customers is an enormous challenge that needs to be surmounted immediately. It ensures accurate billing and removes prevalent loss of energy. Nigerians of every stratum are not good at paying for utility services. Customer education on why they should not be reminded of their responsibilities which is lacking should be the priority of the new owners.

    Power sector is highly technically driven. The new owners should endeavour to tap from the wealth of experience of the ex-staff of PHCN before hastily jumping into indiscriminate disengagement of staff as is currently obtainable. The new owners should put machinery in place aimed at separating the wheat from the chaff, the competent from the incompetent, and the productive from the non productive.

    The new owners should hit the ground running because before now they are neither formidable players in the power sector or even known stakeholders.

    The new companies should take a critical look at the work places of PHCN and review it quickly. It is not easy to work in a company where the monthly operational expenses do not reflect at least 10% of the revenue collected; or where training of staff is not accorded top priority. The above mentioned challenges are avoidable pits the incoming companies should be wary of to be able to excel.

     

    •Sunday Onyemaechi Eze

    Samaru, Zaria

     

  • Minister, PHCN workers disagree over severance pay

    Minister, PHCN workers disagree over severance pay

    •IFC: new power firms look good

    Disagreements have ensued over the payment of severance package to workers of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) as stakeholders hold divergent views.

    According to the National President, Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Workers, Bernard Okpara, the Minister of Power, Prof Chinedu Nebo’s claims that over 70 per cent of the workers had been paid was not correct.

    Okpara said over 55 per cent of the workers had yet to be paid, adding that the development contradicted the earlier agreement reached with the government

    The government, he said, reneged on its promise to pay the entitlements before handing over to the new owners.

    He also said the workers had yet to be paid pension, adding that those who retired recently have not also collected their gratuity.

    “These show that the government has not yet complied with the agreement it reached with labour to resolve all outstanding issues before handing over the companies to private investors,” he added.

    Also, the President, Senior Staff Association of PHCN Mr Godwin Ifenacho said the power distribution (DISCOs’) and generation (GENCOs’) decision to retain less than 40 per cent of the workforce of 48,000 was not good.

    The development, he said, suggested that many skilled workers would be thrown into the labour market.

    He said electricity generation and distribution were sensitive matters, arguing that people that are technically strong and experienced in this area should be employed.

    However, the Ministry of Power has promised that the workers’, entitlements would be paid.

    Its spokesman, Timothy Oyedeji, denied claims that the Federal Government was not ready to pay, saying the payment is being done in phases because of the large number of workers.

    He said: ‘’The delay in paying the entitlements of workers does not mean that government is not serious about the issue. Government’s money is not something that must be thrown about. The issue requires due process. Verification of workers’ data among other information is important, hence the decision to make payment in phases. Everybody would be paid. Even, if there is minor disagreement, it should be resolved in the interest of the country. It should not be used to undermine the privatisation process.’’

    The government, he said, privatised the power sector to make it work, adding that there was no ulterior motive behind it.

    Oyedeji said there were opportunities in the labour market, adding that the government is making arrangements to engage the workers where their competence is needed.

    In his own submission, the Director-General, National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Dr Sam Amadi, said the Commission has not received complaints on payment of severance package to workers of PHCN.

    He said none of the 14 Discos and GENCOS has petitioned the agency on the matter, promising that the commission will act accordingly if it received such petitions.

    NERC, he said, would rely on the terms guiding the sale of the companies to resolve such issues.

    The payment of emoluments of the defunct PHCN workers fall under the guidelines for the sale of the company’s assets which is not within the NERC’s purview, he said.

    Amadi said: ‘’Labour issues are purely transactional and not regulatory. They are issues that revolve around the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), the privatised companies and the core investors in PHCN’s assets. However, if NERC receives any petition from any of the utility companies, the organisation will look at their licence, terms and conditions of operations. We are yet to receive petition(s) from any of them.’’

    Meanwhile, International Finance Corporation has predicted a better outlook for the 14 power firms.

    Its Director, Infrastructure Department, Bernard Sheahan, told The Nation that more local and foreign financial institutions would be comfortable dealing with the companies now that they have taken possession of the assets of the unbundled PHCN

    He said the assets inherited by the companies were financeable, adding that it would not be long before the companies start getting loans from credible financial institutions.

    It was wrong, he said, to conclude that the acquired assets are weak, arguing that many of them were still very strong. He stated that on the basis of this, the banks would carry out their investigations and see whether they can advance credits to the firms.

    ‘’ It is wrong to say that PHCN’s assets are old and not financeable. We have discovered that the assets are bankable, hence the decision to finance the power firms as part of our growth strategies for Nigeria,’’ he said.

    Sheahan conceded that company has been holding discussions with the DISCOs and GENCOs to provide long-term financing for them since thay have paid for the assets, and therefore need to look for more long-term funding for growth.

  • NAPTIN graduates 243 electric engineers

    THE National Power training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) has graduated 243 electrical engineering trainees through its Graduate Skills Development Programme (NGSDP).

    The Minister of Power, Prof Chinedu Nebo, who presented certificates to the graduates at Abuja, noted thier passing out was very timely since the privatization of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) has boosted the demand for skilled electrical engineers.

    He expressed optimistism that the graduates would turn around the power sector.

    Nebo, who noted that capacity building is key to development of the power sector, recalled that federal government recently commissioned two power plants.

    He said that the federal government will soon commission the remaining eight National Integrated Power Project (NIPP), stressing that all the plants would be manned by skilled engineers.

    The Director General of NAPTIN, Engineer Reuben Okeke, said that NGSDP programme was conceived as a pro-reform initiative to build the professional level technical manpower required to match up with the infrastructural expansion in the power sector.

    He said: “NAPTIN realised that the quick delivery of projects in the sector can only be completed by the availability of professional manpower in the sector if the reform process is to have the desired impact.”

    Following the launch of the programme in 2012, Nebo stated that over 1,530 applications were received nationwide with a total of about 243 graduate trainees eventually admitted and enrolled.

    He stated that  nine states including Anambra, Bornu, Ebonyi, Kano, Katsina, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto and Yobe, sponsored their indigenes for the programmes.

    243 engineers were trained including 92 for generation, 72 for distribution and 79 for transmission.

     

  • Ondo communities decry blackout

    Ondo communities decry blackout

    FOR the people of Igbokoda in Ilaje and Igbotako in Okitipupa Local Government Area, Ondo State, there doesn’t appear to be an end to how long they would be without power supply.

    They have been in darkness for over two years, yet officials of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) have not been able to assure them when their problem would be solved.

    Efforts have been made by the residents of these communities, particularly the youth, to ensure a solution is proffered to the problems, but all were to no avail.

    It was gathered that the traditional ruler of Igbokoda, Oba Afolabi Odidiomo, had on several occasions invited the manager of PHCN office in the community to his palace on the matter yet the problem persists.

    However, a source claimed the oil community has been cut off from the national grid.

    In Igbotako, because of the poewer problem, business activities have been paralysed and this has forced some businessmen and women to relocate from the area.

    The Youth leader of Igbokoda, Omotayo Lebi, described the development as an embarrassment, noting that the headquarters of an oil producing local government has been denied power supply for three years.

    He also said the efforts made by the residents and the traditional ruler have proved abortive.

    His words: “We were really excited about four weeks ago when they suddenly brought the light; the mood of the people changed that, at last, a solution has been found to this issue, but after three hours, they cut it and since then we have remained in darkness.

    “We have met the officials of the PHCN; we have been living with their failed promises. We are tired; we only rely on generators without any hope of making use of government light. It is a shameful thing that Igbokoda which serves as the headquarters of Ilaje, an oil producing council, has been in darkness in the past three years.

    “We are pleading with the government and officials of the PHCN to help us. Our business activities have been affected. The people only rely on generators which now made consumable goods expensive. It is only Okitipupa that enjoy a few hours of power supply. We do not know our offences. Why the government deliberately leave us in this condition?”

    The Igbokoda Palace’s Secretary, Toyin Orimoloye, confirmed that the monarch has intervened on the matter, but did not any positive response from either the government or the PHCN workers.

    Orimoloye  asked whether the state government expected the people to generate power independently for the community.

    “We have suffered; things are being sold at high prices. To get an ordinary cold water, you pay a high price because traders rely on generators. We have protested, begged, even held meetings with the PHCN officials, yet nothing came out of the efforts. We are tired; how can an oil producing community be denied such things?

    “If the government is claiming that it has given amnesty to the Niger Delta militants and is also giving them training by sending them abroad, whereas their communities have been in darkness for some years, what is the essence of its amnesty?

    ‘’Amnesty should not be based solely on sending the repentant militants abroad, but their communities should also be developed because the essence of militancy was for the development of oil producing communities in Nigeria, which have been neglected by Federal Government and the oil companies.

    “We are calling on the Federal Government not to waste its money on sending ex-militants on training abroad alone, but invest on the infrastructure of the communities. We are not happy, our investment are gradually destroying”

    At Igbotako, a 70-year-old man, Pa. Isaac Akinwominu, blamed some indigenes of the community, who  are occupying top positions, but failed  to use their influence to solve the problem.

    “What is the essence of parading these men in our community where we have been in darkness for the past two years. Some of them are serving senators, successful businessman who have the opportunities of seeing the President anytime they want.

    “They have failed because we do not know their importance.  I hope they are happy as the people are mocking them that a senator’s or a business mogul’s community has no light? By 2015, they will be on our neck to vote for them or their parties; we are waiting for them. Igbotako has successful sons and daughters. I believe one of them can settle the issue of electricity for his people once and for all.

    “Though we know it is the function of the government to get this problem solved, as a patriotic sons and daughters, they should be able to do it since the government has turned a deaf ear on our plight. We all know that the government cannot do all, but as individuals, you can support the government on this and the people will praise you.”

    The septuagenarian, however, urged the indigenes of the community to unite for the development of the community.

    When our correspondent visited the PHCN state headquarters in Akure, the state capital, no staff member agreed to speak.

  • Nigeria not ripe for privatization – Electricity union

    Nigeria not ripe for privatization – Electricity union

    The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) on Wednesday said that Nigeria was not ripe for the privatisation of electricity sector.

    The Secretary General of the union, Mr Moses Amedu, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna.

    He decried the over zealousness of the investors in taking over the electricity companies, saying it would be to the detriment of Nigerians.

    Amedu appealed to the investors to exercise some restraints, stressing that “it is the PHCN that has been privatised and not the National Union of Electricity Employees.”

    “We learnt that the electricity investors were going about the companies to paste names of staff disengaged and the names of staff who will be re-engaged.

    “The NUEE is not privatised and we will see to the adequate welfare of our members in the electricity industries, whether being managed by private or the Government.

    “We, the union expected to sit down with the investors to enable us draw a condition of service and it is upon this condition of service they should operate.

    “But as things are, the investors are so much in a hurry to throw away our members, even when they have not been paid their severance package”.

    Amedu said all the agreements signed by the Federal Government and the union had not been made available to the investors before disengaging his members.

    The union scribe said 70 per cent might have been paid their severance package, while only 30 per cent of the electricity employees had received the Pension Fund Account (PFA) alert.

    “The retirement saving account for the 47, 000 employees have not been funded, while some of our members are yet to be cleared for any of these payments.

    “The pension components of the payment have not been attended to,” he said.

    Amedu said a total of seven thousand employees in the electricity sector were yet to be paid their severance package.

    He said that 40, 000 out of the 47, 000 of its members across the nation had been paid.

    The secretary general advised its members not to sign any letter of disengagement until they were fully paid

  • PHCN retirees want pension in recurrent expenditure

    President, Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Electricity sector, Chief Temple Ubani has urged the Federal Government to make provision for their pension and gratuity in the recurrent budget.

    He said putting their money in the recurrent budget would lead to consistent payment of the retirees, rather than through the Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Limited (NELMCO) saddled with the payment of pensions to the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) pensioners.

    Ubani told The Nation that NUP members have claims on gratuities, pension arrears and death and accident benefits.

    He further said the Federal Government has since August this year, stopped pensions payment to electricity workers who are under the old pension scheme through NELMCO.

    The NUP chief said the situation had put many pensioners under undue hardship, lamenting that government has been insensitivity to challenges facing the group. He said that government has not been treating the problems of the union with the seriousness it deserves.

    He said: “Before now, PHCN was paying our pension after we retired. However, in view of the power sector reform and privatisation, the Federal Government established an agency called Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Limited (NELMCO) to be responsible for the payment of pensions to the current PHCN pensioners.

    “Although we are now captured in the budget with the Ministry of Finance paying our money to NELMCO, which has been paying us, but recently, they stopped the payment.”

    He explained that NELMCO started paying them since August last year, adding that every year, budgetary allocation is made to NELMCO and disbursed quarterly but they have been struggling to pay.

    The development, he said, was sometimes due to perennial problems between the National Assembly and the Presidency.

    “This is why we are appealing to the government to provide our monies in recurrent budget. Our arrears also have to be put in perspective,” he said.

    Speaking on the privatisation and transfer of PHCN assets to the new investors, Ubani said that as senior citizens in the sector, they are worried as to who will pay pensions of the workers that are affected by the new developments in the sector.

    “We do not oppose privatisation since government has decided it’s the way to go, but wondered who will pay the pension of the retirees, since they do not have any relationship with the new buyers,” he noted.

  • FG’s power sector debt hits N1tr as new owners take over PHCN

    FG’s power sector debt hits N1tr as new owners take over PHCN

    The Federal Government yesterday handed over the physical assets of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) to the 14 successor companies.

    Power Minister Chinedu Nebo told reporters in Abuja that the PHCN has now ceased to exist but the debt which government incurred and their assets have been transferred to the Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Company (NELMCO).

    “Government has no business doing business. Because government was doing business, NELMCO now has between N600 billion to N1 trillion debt that needs to be settled. So, some of these assets you are thinking will be stripped will not be stripped. They have been submitted to NELMCO,” he said.

    The minister said the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) would soon roll out rules for the interim operation of the firms before the activation of the Electricity Transition Market.

    The minister noted that there would be post-handover monitoring by the Federal Ministry of Power, NERC and the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE).

    He said: “For today’s event, we must hand over physically five generation companies and 10 distribution companies to the new owners. The handover automatically gives the new owners authority to take over and manage the companies in line with already established rules and guidelines by the Bureau of Public Enterprises and Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission.

    “Announcement and activation of the interim market rules by NERC, the regulator, will very shortly announce to us what the interim rules for the market should be. Next is the declaration of the Electricity Transition Market by the minister, which will be made on advice by NERC.”

    He explained that the fears of the challenges in the transmission sub-sector of the industry have been overtaken with the Federal Government intervention in excess of $3 billion for strengthening the transmission network.

    According to Nebo, Nigeria hopes to rake in 4 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from the power sector when the potential is fully realised.

    He announced that N360 billion had been disbursed to the staff of the PHCN while N30 billion was in the pipeline.

    Vice President Namadi Sambo, in separate messages to the handing over ceremonies across the country, said sanction awaits any of the 14 Power Holding Company of Nigeria(PHCN) successor companies that fails to deliver or violates the rules enshrined in the Power Sector Reforms 2005.

    The companies are Amperion Power Co. Ltd (Geregu), Transcorp/Woodrock (Ughelli), Integrated Energy Company (Ibadan), NEDC/KEPCO (Ikeja), Vigeo Power Ltd. (Benin), Aura Energy Ltd. (Jos), Integrated Energy Company (Yola), Mainstream Energy Ltd. (Kainji), West Power & Gas (Eko Kann Consortium (Abuja), 4Power Consortium (Port Harcourt), and Sahelian Power SPV Ltd

    The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Bureau of Public Enterprises(BPE), he said, would not hesitate to sanction any core investor that violated the rules and regulations of the sale.

    He said the two agencies had been mandated to monitor the operations of the 14 unbundled PHCN companies.

    “Let me state clearly there that both the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission and BPE will continually monitor the operations of the successor companies and would not hesitate to sanction any core investor that does not deliver on the performance agreement that was executed with the government.’’

    He said the companies had been tasked to ensure consistent supply of electricity to improve socio economic development.

    He acknowledged the challenges facing the power sector in Nigeria but spoke of government’s commitment to the creation of an enabling environment to incentivize private sector investors.

    The Vice President charged the successor companies to transform into world class entities in terms of quality of service delivery, social corporate responsibility, customer’s satisfaction and profitability.

    He said there would have been a monopoly if the power generation companies remained as a single entity.

    At the handing over of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) to the new investors- KANN Utility Consortium (Nig) Limited, its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Alhaji Shehu Malami, told electricity customers within the territory to be patient with the new company because the private sector has no magic wand.

    He said that following the years of lack of investment in the sector, the private sector should not be expected to change the firm to meet international standard overnight.

  • New power company owners should improve electricity supply- Sambo

    New power company owners should improve electricity supply- Sambo

    Vice President Namadi Sambo has charged the new owners of the Power Holding Corporation of Nigeria to transform the company to a world class company of reference in terms of quality of service delivery and  customer’s satisfaction.
    Sambo gave  the charge at the handover of the EKO distribution Company to West Gate Power and Gas held at the company headquarters in Marina, Lagos.
    Sambo, who was represented by the Minister for Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Agaga said the government hopes that   the participation of the private sector would bring about higher generation capacities through the provision of more efficient and cost efficient power stations and improvement in electric power distribution in the areas of billings and collection, transmission networks.
    He said that the handover ceremony is a culmination of 14 years of painstaking efforts by the National Council on Privatization (NCP), The  Bureau of Public enterprises, the federal Ministry of Power and other key stakeholders to reform and liberalize Nigeria’s electricity industry.
    He added that such capital injection and efficiency have been inadequate in PHCN over the years resulting in gross inadequate power supply with the attendant negative effects on the citizenry and the economy at large.
    “No government around the world has the capacity and resources to build the power sector that is  sustainable for its citizen which led to the reforms and privatization programme which would allow more Nigerians to have access to power and our industry would make their product more competitive because of adequate power supply” he said.
    Sambo  said   the reforms and privatization progranmme are rightly focused on the big picture which is the impact on the economy as a whole and ultimately the greatest good for the greatest number of Nigerian.
    Noting that the challenges facing the electricity sector in Nigeria are enormous, he said the federal government is committed to creating the enabling environment that would incentivize the private sector investors to take on these challenges  and the opportunities therein to ensure quality and cost effective service delivery to the Nigeria electricity consumers
    Earlier the Chairman of West Gate Power and Gas, Mr. Charles Momoh, who thanked  the federal government said the handover of the power sector to local and foreign investors is a statement of confidence reposed on the current administration which is worthy of emulation.
    He promised  that the company will invest in matrices, changing of the systems, transformers,  staff training and ultimately ensure that standards are kept in the interest of the consumer.
  • 40,093 PHCN workers get N292b handshake

    40,093 PHCN workers get N292b handshake

    The unbundled energy behemoth – Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) – will be transferred to new owners tomorrow, the Federal Government said yesterday.

    The government said it had paid 40,093 workers of the fading firm N292.51 billion as severance package.

    The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Power, Godknows Igali, told reporters at the State House after a meeting with Vice President Namadi Sambo that the cash comprises N214.22 billion for severance and N80.290 billion for pension.

    With the payment, all is set for the transfer of the PHCN to the new owners tomorrow.

    Igali said of the 47,913 PHCN workers who were identified after validation, regularisation and cross-checking, the payment of only 5,907 workers was being delayed due to lack of biometric data records and duplications .

    He said: “We have been asked by the Vice President to update you on the outcome of the briefing, which he has just received for the preparations towards the handover of PHCN assets to the new owners by 1st of November. So far, during the process of validation, revalidation and processing, the total number of 40,093 workers, as at this morning, have been completely validated and their entitlements paid.

    “An additional 605 workers were validated in the course of yesterday and their papers have just been sent in for payment of their entitlements.

    “The 40,093 people, the severance components that have been paid out is N214.22 billion while the pension components (N80.290 billion) has been paid.”

    “In total, 47,913 PHCN workers were identified in the process of validation, regularisation, and cross-checking of workers. As you know, this process has to be done because PHCN is a very large organisation and had workers in all parts of this country.”

    On the 5,907 workers whose payment is being stalled by virus, duplication and no records, he said: “The balance of the number, we have some issues with some of them. It is an electronic process and unfortunately some workers in Enugu Disco, 1,478 workers, their biometric capture got corrupted by virus and the consultant has moved to site in Enugu to recapture them.

    “Additional 929 other workers from around the country also had their biometric data corrupted. This is a usual thing that happens when dealing with large numbers and we are bringing them to Abuja at the expense of the government for their biometric data to be recaptured so that they can be paid their entitlements immediately. “

    “An additional about 1,000 workers from the number that is left has been cleared, but there are some duplications of various nature; names are duplicated, accounts are duplicated.

    “For example, there are cases where people have three names and while filling they put only two names. There are also cases where someone’s name is Mohammed and they write Mahmud. So, these things have to be captured properly because the amounts are big and we don’t want the wrong people to be paid somebody else’s money.

    “For such a huge number, such delays have occurred and that is why we are accounting 6,000 or so people that their cases are still being dealt with out of the 47,000.”

    “There are cases of 2,500 that are bad cases, but they are being handled. These are cases of people that don’t have any record, any document to back up the claim that they are PHCN workers. But people have identified them that they have been in the system. These are mostly casual workers and their cases are being looked into,” he added

    To ensure that every worker is paid his or her entitlement, Igalli said, the technical committee will continue to work day and night to validate as many people as possible.

    He said any delay of payment of the 40,093 workers had to do with processes in the banks and that the government has directed them to expedite action on the payments.

    The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) said it had despatched a team of consultants and its staff for the biometric data capture of 1, 478 employees of the Enugu Distribution Company who could not be audited because of virus attack on the system were their names were stored.

    Head, BPE Public Communications, Mr. Chigbo Anichebe, said the federal government set aside the entire proceed of N384 billion from the BPE transaction to settle labour liabilities.

  • Power Minister, call Abule Egba PHCN to order

    SIR: I am a law-abiding citizen and feel it is a duty to pay my electricity bills and by God’s grace this I have never failed to do. And at all time my account with the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN reads credit. I understand the times in the land and do not expect that even with that I should get constant power supply, but this has never discouraged me knowing that in the foreseeable future and as the Jonathan power sector reform agenda starts to yield fruit, I and many others will see that it is always better to be on the right side of the law.

    But alas, for all this, PHCN at the Abule Egba area in Lagos has been crazy enough to cut off the light supply of a wide area in Abule Egba ensuring that I and many others do not get even the little light that usually comes to us after their load shedding.

    Reason? To punish those who are owing them. I now ask: should those who are paying PHCN suffer because of those who are not paying? Why throw out the baby with the bathwater? Where is justice? Would this type of action not discourage those who are paying? The right thing is for them to go after those who owe them and cut their light. If they are scared of going to their houses to do that they could go with the police. I do not encourage impunity. But even God himself would not have destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah if he had found one just man in those cities.

    I and other law-abiding people should not suffer for the crime of others. Or does PHCN’s mandate include denying those who are paying light supply?

    The power sector reform has made PHCN staff to carry on like those with a chip on their shoulder. Never mind the payoff. Not all have even gotten it with the handover date close. So they are like angry wild animals. And they will not leave without biting off the flesh of the people.

    Dr Cosmas Odoemena,

    Lagos