The announcement of the payment of
N384bn severance package to Power Holding Company of Nigeria workers
from June 17, 2013, has attracted armed robbers and kidnappers to
employees of the power firm.
The President-General, Senior Staff
Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, Mr. Bede Opara, told
our correspondent on Wednesday that the hoodlums had started demanding
their share of the money which the Federal Government had yet to pay
the workers.
He said, “We don’t want to be
advertising this issue of payment. The lives of our members are in
danger. Even now that the money is yet to be paid, armed robbers and
kidnappers have started harassing our people here and there.
“This is because they heard that
payments will be made from June 17. When they go to some homes of PHCN
workers, they tell them that government said it had paid since June 17,
bring our own share.”
He urged the government to desist from making public the date for the payments .
Opara added, “We really want to see
that the money has been paid and not necessarily making it public that
it will be paid on a particular date. Since PHCN workers are warming
up to have their entitlements, thieves are also warming up to come and
rob them of it.
“So, we want employees of the PHCN
to wake up in the morning and see their money in their bank accounts.
All these announcements may not help matters because already peoples’
lives are now in danger because of the money.”
He observed that government had shown
some level of commitment, but maintained that workers would not applaud
it (government) until the payments were made.
He said, “This is because we are
getting a lot of signals from people telling us to be careful not to
allow government to play its game as usual.
“But we don’t think that the present
administration that we are seeing in the power sector will do such a
thing. However, if they chose to, we know what to do. If they fail to
perform, we know what to do.”
On why the payments were still delayed,
he said a lot of verifications had to be done, stressing that the
government had to be sure of the correct beneficiaries.
Opara added, “Before government pays
out any money, it goes through the offices of the auditor-general and
accountant-general and it has to be in line with the implementation
committee’s programme. So we are expecting the process to be completed
because we have finished our part and we believe that government will
also complement by fulfilling their own part.”
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Well spoken Sir.
ReplyDeleteU've spoken fluently sir,give us light 2 coincide with the estimated bills!!!
ReplyDeleteFluently spoken sir.But,give us light 2 coincide with the estimated bills still slammed on us!!!
ReplyDeleteU've spoken fluently sir,give us light 2 coincide with the estimated bills!!!
ReplyDelete