Mary Nnah
The Association of Former Staff of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) recently stormed Ibadan, demanding the payment of outstanding benefits of almost 50,000 disengaged staff of the defunct PHCN since October 31, 2013.
PHCN was unbundled and discontinued as a government parastatal effective November 1, 2013.
In a press release signed by its General Secretary, Yinka Adeyemo, the association said payment of outstanding benefits include short payment of severance and gratuity, 7.5 pension counterpart by the Federal Government of Nigeria, 10 per cent Equity, post retirement training allowances of 16 months, including the Pension counterparts of both employees’ and the employer, insurance and others.
“Furthermore, there is still an unresolved controversial two per cent deduction from the severance package of all former staff of the defunct PHCN to the two in-house Unions in 2013,” he added.
Adeyemo who read the prepared text endorsed by the President of the Association, Mr Stanley Ilumah, told journalists that many of their colleagues are dying daily after waiting for almost a decade, seven years to be precise without the settlement of their outstanding benefits but eagerly hoping on the federal government to urgently intervene to avert increasing record of deaths.
A committee setup by the Federal Government headed by a renowned Unionist, Pa Comrade Hassan Sunmonu referred to as “SUNMONU PANEL” to address labour agitation between the two in-house Unions of the Company representing the defunct PHCN workforce and BPE representing the Federal Government of Nigeria, unfortunately the federal government through her agency [BPE] jettisoned the agreed payment templates by the Committee resulting to the under payment in contest.
“This has hitherto generated into untold hardships to the former staff who are soberly and passionately pleading to President Muhammadu Buhari to rescue them from penury and early grave.
“It’s worthy to mention that the association came into existence as a result of the insensitivity of the leadership of the two in-house unions to the plight of the disengaged staff that are dying daily despite the deduction of two per cent (N7.5billion) from the severance package of all the disengaged staff for post privatisation struggle since 2013.
“For the avoidance of doubt, it is on record that the BPE had attested to the fact that the disengaged staff of the defunct PHCN were owed the aforementioned outstanding benefits.
“The impoverished looking former staff of the defunct PHCN are hereby appealing to President Muhammadu Buhari to please come to our rescue to put smiles on the faces of the traumatised disengaged staff of the defunct PHCN.”
