PHCN Moves Against Casuals

In a renewed bid to check the activities of touts and in experienced persons from handling facilities of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), the management of the company has warned service centre managers to stop forthwith from using non-paid casuals in their operations.

Diobu Business Unit Manager, Engineer Uzoma Mbuko, who gave the warning in Port Harcourt, reminded centre managers that the use of non-paid casuals was not only risky but against the policy of the company.

A notice signed by Mbuko and sent to all service centre managers under his unit said, “it has come to the notice of the management that despite previous warnings, non-paid casuals are still freely used by service centre managers in their areas of operation”.

The notice with the reference: District Circular No 220/1964/2010, and titled, “The Use of Non-paid Staff”, the management advised all those involved in this unwholesome act to desist forthwith, stressing that anyone caught would be made to face the full wrath of the law.

The Tide gathered that touts were taking undue advantage of the use of non-paid casuals to get involved in the operations of the company.

This development was causing negative impacts on the services of the company as well as subjecting valued customers of PHCN to various forms of avoidable extortions.

Worried by the bad image it was giving to the company, PHCN has taken decisive measures to stamp out the involvement of non-paid casuals in its operations across the nation.

Power touts with frivolous claims in all parts of Nigeria are in the habit of reconnecting disconnected lines by PHCN staff and charging unsuspecting customers various sums of money, which do not get to the accounts of PHCN.

Mbuko advised customers of the company to always contact the office of the company and to refrain from ergaging touts in the services of the company, emphasizing that the full wrath of the law would also fall on whosoever was caught in the illegal operations.

Chris Oluoh