Soldiers Guard PHCN Installations As Workers Protest Takeover

Military men have been deployed to some key PHCN installations across the country to prevent vandalization by aggrieved PHCN over the none payment of their severance allowances.

This comes in the wake of the eventual presentation of shares certificate by the new core investors of the unbundled PHCN subsidiaries by the President.

Yesterday, protesting staff at the head office at Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, deserted their office, while the premises was occupied by armed soldiers.

Aggrieved workers of PHCN in Osogbo, Osun State capital, locked up gates of their offices in protest on Monday.

It was reliably gathered that workers in three undertaking offices situated in Osogbo vowed to prevent the handing over of the company by the Federal Government to new investors, citing unpaid severance packages as major reason for their action.

During a visit to undertaking offices of the PHCN on Station Road, Oke-Fia; Osogbo Control Centre, Powerline Osogbo and Ayetoro, gates to the offices were under lock and key.

Credible sources also hinted that PHCN office in other communities such as Ede, Ikirun and Ife were locked by the workers.

Reacting to the development, the public relations officer of Osogbo PHCN business district unit, Mr Timothy Adesanya, said “the workers decided to lock up the gates to PHCN offices because they have not received their severance packages and this action would continue until the Federal Government decides to accede to their demands.”

In Jos, Plateau State, PHCN workers trooped out in their hundreds to protest the non-payment of their severance allowances.

The workers, as early as 9.00 a.m, stormed the zonal office of PHCN on Rwang Pam Street, Jos and disrupted activities at the zonal office for few hours before they were addressed by the zonal organizing secretary of NUEE, North West zone, Anthony Sule.

Speaking with newsmen, Sule said despite several negotiations and assurance, the staff were not fully paid and wondered the handover when not up to 40 per cent of the workers had been paid.

He said the union would protect the interest of its members to the end, adding that it would not allow the handing over until all the entitlements were paid.

Members of NUEE  in Ondo State protested over the handing over of PHCN to private investors.

The protest, though peaceful, was said to have been organised to express grievances of the workers over the failure of the Federal Government to pay their entitlements before the handing over.

The workers locked the gate of the PHCN district headquarters in Akure and warned private investors not to enter into any agreement with the Federal Government until their outstanding entitlements were paid.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, chairman of Akure chapter of the union, Mr Clement Daudu and the vice president, Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, Mr Neke Nwanchukwu, said the union members would not resume work until their entitlements were paid to them.

Reacting to the development, Minister of Power, Professor Nebo, said the event was unfortunate.

“I think to be just, fair and equitable, they need to get severance packages, but you know that in the civil service, you cannot be severed and be able to retain a pensionable job, so we need to work out the legal ramifications of paying off their severance package,” he said.

The minister said it was not easy to have about N100 million paid easily by any bank, adding that “it would cause a run on the bank, so we have been doing all the due diligence to take care of the problem.”