Expert Advises Power Firms Against Mass Sack

Authorities of power gen
erating companies (GENCOS) and their distribution counterparts (DISCOs) in Nigeria have been advised to jettison plans of disengaging their valued staff as the workers six-month contract expires this week.
The Director, Human Resources of NEDAL Oil Company (Nigeria) Limited, Princess Dema Ogba who gave the advice last Friday in Port Harcourt said instead of withdrawing the services of the affected staff, the power companies should consider retraining a good number of them.
Dema stated that six months after taking over the defunt Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) the new investors still need to tap from the wealth of experiences of the old staff particularly as the new companies anticipate expansion in the near future.
“I Think what these new companies need most is to engage more workforce gradually with time because their role is expanding particularly with the government’s plan to extend electricity to the rural areas in the country,” she said.
‘Describing workforce as valued asset, the human resources expert explained that few bad workers could be laid off but penciling down sizeable number for sack would do the GENCOs and DISCOs more harm.
The Director who regretted that the power sector disengaged a large number of its workforce last year and threw more Nigerians into the already saturated labour market, said the federal Government should dissuade the new investors from carrying out such a wholesome disengament exercise as planned.

Chris Oluoh