The National Council on Privatisation (NCP) has approved N1.371 billion for the settlement of outstanding redundancy benefits of ex-workers of aviation ground handling service provider, Skyway Aviation Handling Company plc (SAHCO).
Laolu Akande, senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity, Office of the Vice President, who disclosed this, said the approval was one of the highlights of the 6th meeting of the council last Friday, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
This was a sequel to a memo presented to the NCP, by the director-general of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Alex Okoh, to the council, seeking its approval for the payment of the money due to ex-SAHCO workers
The DG also informed the council of the notice of ‘peaceful protest’ received from ex-workers of SAHCO, who are also members of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSAN), on account of the non-payment of their outstanding severance entitlements after being disengaged from the company following its privatisation in 2009.
“After deliberation on the matter, the council gave the approval for the outstanding severance entitlements of the ex-workers to be paid”
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The council also received an update on the development of a 1,650 megawatts hydro power plant in Makurdi, Benue State, particularly the inauguration of the project steering committee and the proposed publication on the Expression of Interest for the engagement of a transaction adviser for the project.
On the concession of the Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant, the council was informed that Requests for Qualification (RfQs) were received from 11 consortiums, out of which three – NSP Consortium, Mainstream Energy, and Africa Plus Partners, were shortlisted to present proposals for the concession.
On the restructuring of the Kano, Benin, Kaduna, Ibadan, and Port Harcourt DisCos, council was informed that the notifications of change of directors for all the DisCos had been filed at the corporate affairs commission, while the BPE has issued guidelines to the banks/lenders for the sale of their 60 percent shares in the assets.
The NCP also received updates on the sale of five NIPP power plants, particularly the engagements with the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) on the NIPP transaction, and the resolution by the governors to constitute a committee to review the transaction and revert to the bureau.
The council expressed satisfaction with the BPE’s handling of the engagements with the governors on the sale of the NIPP and the Federal Government’s 40 percent interest in the Aba Ring-Fenced area.
The NCP meeting was attended by the ministers of power, Abubakar Aliyu; finance, budget and national planning, Zainab Ahmed; the DG of the BPE, Alex Okoh; representatives of federal ministry of justice, heads of relevant MDAs and other senior government officials.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo also received on a courtesy visit to the Presidential Villa, the management of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) led by its chairman, Mohammed Bello Shehu.
In his remarks, Shehu appealed to Osinbajo to support the commission’s drive to digitise its operations, particularly the efficient allocation and disbursement of revenues to the three tiers of government in accordance with the Act setting up the commission.
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