*11yrs after disengagement
By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
Disengaged staff of the defunct National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) and Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) on Monday, demanded payment of their withheld benefits and severance packages by the Federal Government.
The disengaged workers while speaking through one of them, Mr Olusegun Iyanda, said the Federal Government should through the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE)
pay the former NEPA and PHCN workers laid off in 2013 and yet to be paid benefits and severance packages.
Mr Iyanda pointed out that the former workers are seeking payment of all their benefits and severance packages through the implementation of report of a committee headed by erstwhile labour leader, Comrade Hassan Sunmonu.
He maintained that the benefits included 10% equity share of power industry to every employees, pre retirement training within and outside the country which was said to be monitised, contributory pension, insurance and other things as recommended by the Sumonu’s report.
“Our employment was terminated in 2013 based on some policy, everybody were asked to go, before then, a committee headed by the estwhile labour leader, Sumonu was set up to plan for our retirements, benefits and severance packages. At the end of the day, part payment of our benefits was paid to us having in mind that they will pay the remaining later”, he said.
Mr Iyanda added, ” We later found out that rather than paying all that supposed to paid to us, they came out with a form last year that they want to pay, but the amount they wanted to pay was very ridiculous, the form indicated that once we signed it, we are saying government didn’t owe us anything again aside the stipend they wanted to pay us”.
” The form also indicated that signing it mean we agree on resolutions of our union and BPE, so, how can we agree on a resolutions to a meeting we are not party to? we are no longer in service, we don’t need the union.
He stressed further that all what the disengaged workers “want now is for BPE, which is charged with overall responsibility of implementing Nigerian policy on Privatisation and Commercialisation to pay everything as listed in the Hassan Sumonu’s report without cohesion or intimidation.
“The union deducted two percent from the part payment paid to us, the money was above eight billion, it was shared by the union, and they still intend to deduct another two percent again.Some have agreed to take the ridiculous money, but those of us who refused to take the money formed a group and called it resolute group.”
