PHCN: No Going Back On November 1 Handover To New Owners, Says BPE

 THERE is no going back on the November 1, 2013, handover date of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) successor firms to the new owners, the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) has said.
  And going by fresh hints into the nature of the utilities, The Guardian learnt Friday that the utilities are to be physically handed over to the new owners simultaneously across the country.

  BPE has also assured of a seamless handover and promised that the new owners would take over operations and continue with running of the facilities hitch free as the handover process had been on for a while.

  Head of Public Communications, BPE, Mr. Chigbo Anichebe, told The Guardian:  “We had set up what we called Transition Committees for each of the successor companies and they are made up of representatives of the core investors, the BPE and the current Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company. They have met for over six months working on the transition.”
  Chairman of the Distribution Company Roundtable, an umbrella body of the new owners of the distribution firms, Dr. Ransome Owan stressed that the new owners were gearing up to provide world-class services to Nigerians.
  He told The Guardian: “I feel a great sense of satisfaction and relief.  The privatisation of PHCN following the dictates of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act of March 15, 2005, is a seminal turning point in the history of our great nation.  Although the process suffered some setbacks due to misguided opportunism, the unflinching will and support of Mr. President made it possible.
  “Despite the uncertainty that change inevitably brings, the government, labour and the people have spoken with one voice and investors have responded in-kind.  There is optimism in the air that a new dawn is upon us.  Now the real work starts.”
  The assurance of a smooth handover is coming even as electricity workers across the country have sworn to resist the handover and shut down power facilities if they are not paid in full by October 31.
  The workers under the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) had embarked on nationwide prayers to seek God’s intervention for their entitlements to be fully paid before the handover.
  The Union’s General Secretary, Joe Ajearo, on Thursday said:  “We appeal to all electricity workers in the country to remain law-abiding and wait for the last minute directive from the leadership of the union by October 31, 2013, before taking any action as the union waits the settling of all labour issues before the expiry date to hand over the privatised PHCN facilities to new investors.

- The Guardian

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