N370bn paid to PHCN workers -BPE

The Bureau of Public Enterprises has said a total of N370bn had so far been remitted for the payment of former employees of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria.

This is contained in a statement made available to the newsmen and signed by the Head, Public Communications of the Bureau, Mr Chigbo Anichebe, on Monday in Abuja.

The statement said the committee on the settlement of labour liabilities in the power sector chaired by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Power, Dr Godknows Igali, made the payments through the Office of the Account General of the Federation.

“The Director-General of the BPE, Mr Benjamin Dikki, has stated that 45,136 staff out of 47,913 staff have been verified to date for payment.

“A total of N370bn has been remitted to the OAGF for payment of the former employees of the defunct PHCN.

“Also after the bureau’s nationwide field verification of the possible 4,194 PHCN retirees, 2,931 or their next of kin have been verified leaving 1,163 yet to be verified.

“The verification exercise is the bureau’s way of making extra effort to ensure that the outstanding pensioners were verified and paid their entitlements expeditiously,” it said.

According to the statement, the pensioners or their next of kin, who had not been verified, are advised to do so before April 2.

The commitment of the Federal Government to resolving labour issues in the power sector was reiterated in the statement.

“President Goodluck Jonathan made it a priority and demonstrated great commitment in resolving labour issues in the power sector committing the entire proceeds realised from the sale of power assets for the payment of the workers’ terminal benefits.

“Government had at the initial stage of the transaction, released N57bn to take care of the workers’ pension.

“This was coming after the government had increased the workers’ salary by 50 per cent and regularised all casual staff of the defunct PHCN.

“Government had also released over N6bn to the union leadership as check-off dues from the staff entitlements,” it stated.