Electricity workers’ leadership training in Sapele (2)

By Sam Akadoro

Special Correspondent, Sapele

He continued, “If I may ask, is it possible for the federal executive council to meet on Wednesday and promise to pay N384 billion on Thursday?” he pointed out that the payment announcement was made because they were about signing contract with the successor companies on the very Thursday so that the investors would believe the government is concerned about workers’ welfare.

However, he pointed out that there is a technical committee put in place to work out staff entitlements and that as at that time government made their announcement of payment of the severance pay, the committee was still working and even made request to the government for more weeks to complete the assignment.

Okorodudu informed that the union insisted that the government announcement cannot work because by the union’s calculation the PHCN is entitled to about N600 billion, adding that they had expected the government to look at the unions positions. He said the union requested for an implementation committee that after the implementation would look at the union’s figure and many of them for full implementation.

Unfortunately, Okorodudu said that the technical committee does not have the responsibility to implement its recommendation, stating that they expected as Nigerians that for N600 billion to be pulled out for payment in this country, “the National Assembly must legislate over it in a supplementary budget and so we do not know where the government would get this money from. On our own part, we will continue to work and generate electricity while we wait for them.”

The union leader noted that the days of the PHCN workers kicking against the privatization is over, assuring that they are in full support of the government privatization programme provided their entitlements are fully paid.

 

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