5 September 2011, Sweetcrude, Abuja – The Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) has denied alleged plans to sack some of its workers.
PHCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Mrs. Effuru Igbo told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that she was unaware of any plan by the Federal Government to lay off some of the workers, advising staff of the company to disregard the rumour, as it was false.
She said: “The Federal Government had re-assured us a number of times that nobody would be retrenched in PHCN. The Minister of Power even said this, and because of the reform, there are so many companies coming on board.
“There are so many companies coming out, which would require the people to work there. The people are PHCN staff that already know the system. So, I believe what the Federal Government is saying that nobody will be sacked because they cannot go outside to source for people.”
Igbo added the government would employ well-trained people like PHCN staff, who were already competent, knew the terrain and how to operate the machines.
On the issue of the Olorunsogo power plants which operation is allegedly being hampered by the fact that the manual of its machines is written in Chinese language, she said she was not aware whether it was written in Chinese or not.
Igbo said she was aware that the Chinese built the power plants to generate 334 megawatts of electricity for the national grid.
She also said she was not aware that only four out the six plants in Olorunsogo were working, asking for more time to get more information, because according to her, she read about them from newspapers after she visited the place with the minister of power.
