PHCN Pension Scam: NUEE Demands Investigation

The state Chairman, National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Comrade Temple Banigo, has called for a thorough investigation into the pension scam rocking the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

Comrade Banigo said the investigation will unravel the personalities involved in the scam and the level of involvement of the union’s leaders contrary to the position of the Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji.

The union leader said that “Nigerians should demand from the honourable minister how much resources has been put into the power sector to sustain the sector”.

He reiterated that it is the position of the union that sacked or retrenched workers of PHCN had not been paid their retirement entitlements before the privatisation of PHCN.

Comrade Banigo also appealed to the Port Harcourt residents not to attack PHCN officials but rather support them as they are working to ensure constant power supply to the residents.

The union’s chairman urged Nigerians to hold their elected leaders responsible and accountable for proper explanation why the country cannot have constant power supply despite the huge budgetary allocations to the power sector over the years by successive administrations.

It would be recalled that the Minister of Power, Prof Barth Nnaji had recently disclosed that the blame for the pension scam rocking PHCN should be placed at the doorsteps of those who mismanaged the fund under the PHCN pension scheme rather than on the government.

The minister said “contrary to the allegation by some trade unionists in the power sector, there are no sufficient funds in the PHCN pension scheme to settle the retirement benefits of the PHCN 50,000 workforce, up to July 1, 2004 when the Pension Reform Act came into force, the PHCN operated a non-contributory pension scheme.”