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Workers insist on 10% equity in PHCN

By on May 8, 2013

WORKERS in the nation’s electricity sector,  have insisted that they will not forgo the 10 percent equity share in the assets of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, being privatized by the Federal Government in accordance with the law setting up the National Council on Privatisation, NCP.

This came as they urged Government to come up with a policy statement on metering of customers in the sector because of seeming confusion over provision of meters to customers. Under the umbrella of the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, and its Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, SSAEAC, counterpart said any individual or group who buy any of the assets 100 percent, does so at his or her own risk.

NUEE had at its National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Abuja, argued that on no account would members forgo the 10 percent workers’ right as enshrined in the law, advising investors not to allow greed blindfold them into what they could regret later.

General Secretary of the NUEE, Joe Ajaero, said though information reaching the union was that the assets were being sold 100 percent, but declared that at the appropriate time, the workers would get back the equity, explaining that the 10 percent equity share was independent of Government share.

Similarly, SSAEAC, in a communiqué at the end of its NEC meeting in Lagos, said the union would engage Government in setting aside the equity of 10% in PHCN formations slated for sale to the workers in accordance with the regulations guiding privatization of Government owned business ventures.  It noted that government should consider the release or sale of PHCN Afam Plant, Orji River Plant, Calabar Plant and Ijora Power Station to the workers as part of its privatization programme.

The communiqué issued by Opara Bede and Abiodun Ogunsegha, President-General and General Secretary of SSAEAC respectively, said the NEC reviewed the unimpressive power supply situation across the country despite huge resources sunk into revamping the sector and continued promises of the government to deliver uninterrupted Power Supply in Nigeria.

Post Privatization operational outlook of the sector and the future of SSAEAC in the post privatization era, resolved that government should ensure conclusion of all on-going PHCN projects and fast-track all National Integrated Power Project, NIPP, projects in the sector to benefit Nigerians as a matter of urgency.”

“Government should keep to it promises, by concluding the settlements of PHCN workers disengagement benefits/entitlements without further delay and or loss to the workers. That all staff of PHCN (Genco, Distribution, Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN and other formations), are to benefit from the pay-off occasioned by the Agreement of December, 2012.

Though TCN is contracted out for management while its ownership remains with the Federal Government, NEC-In-Session insists that workers in PHCN be disengaged like all PHCN Employees as they are now to operate under a new Management.

“The leadership should engage Government in setting aside the equity of 10% in PHCN formations slated for sale to the workers in accordance with the regulations guiding privatization of Government owned business ventures.  Government in this doing this could consider the release or sale of PHCN Afam Plant, Orji River Plant, Calabar Plant and Ijora Power Station to the Workers as part of its privatization programme.

On metering, the communiqué said the “NEC-in-Session state that Government should come up with a policy statement on metering of customers in the sector as there seem to be confusion over provision of meters to customers.  The confusion that both “cost of meter already built in tariff or customers to pay” need be removed and Government position made known.”

Meanwhile, members of NEC have requested the leadership of the Association to diversify the investment portfolio of SSAEAC beyond the traditional check-off dues and approved the deduction of 2% of the total emoluments of all members to settle all consultants engaged by the Association in the cause of its protracted negotiations with the Federal Government. It is also to improve on its finances already depleted through increased union activities occasioned by the leadership quest to protect the interests and welfare of the members.

According to the communiqué, “NEC-in-Session the leadership of the Association should commence re-positioning the Association for post privatization engagement by embarking on chapter/unit formation, training on new methodologies and enlightenment on attitudinal change.

In the same light NEC-in-Session direct the leadership to urgently prevail on Government and Government Agencies involved in the privatization process to commence immediately the training of professionals in the Sector and leaders of the Association in readiness for post privatization life.  This training should possibly commence before the envisaged takeover of investors.”

 

 

 

[Vanguard]