Labour asks PHCN workers to disregard Minister over missing pension

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG
ORGANISED Labour yesterday asked workers of the  Power Company of Nigeria, PHCN, and Nigerians to ignore statement credited to the Minister of Power, Professor Barth Nnaji, directing workers to demand from union leaders the whereabout of their  missing pension fund, under the superannuation fund, saying it is a cheap blackmail and mischievous.

Under the umbrella of the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, the union in a statement argued that the Minister’s statement on Sunday through one of his Media aides, was  another fabrication aimed at discrediting the Unions for demanding that exit packages payable to PHCN workers should be based on the contract of service entered into with the PHCN Management.

NUEE in the statement through the General Secretary, Comrade Joe Ajaero, reiterated its earlier demand that the probe panel set up by the Prof Nnaji to probe the missing pension fund should be conducted in public.

The statement read “We make bold to state that the statement is mischievous and made to distract the attention of PHCN staff and Nigerians on how Government agents mismanaged PHCN Superannuation Funds. It is another fabrication aimed at discrediting the Unions for demanding that exit packages payable to PHCN workers should be based on the contract of service entered into with the PHCN Management. We are not moved by this campaign of calumny as it cannot distract us from fighting for the inalienable rights of our members.”

“The truth of the matter is that the Superannuation Fund has been underfunded over the years. The reason for this can only be explained by Management and Government that appointed the Successive Managements of PHCN.  For purpose of clarity, we call for open investigation of the Pension Fund by an independent body as the National Assembly in the performance of its oversight function.

PHCN Family and other patriotic Nigerians are advised to disregard these publications and any other that our detractors may be planning in order to disparage the Unions.”

It added “ We are aware of the antics of our detractors and their continuous ploy to bring us into disrepute. We shall not relent until Nigeria is liberated from the grip of this second imperialism.”