From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
In The National Council on Privatisation (NCP), chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has approved the sum of N1.371 billion for settlement of outstanding redundancy benefits owed workers in an effort to provide relief and ensure payment of their entitlements as ex-workers of aviation ground handling service provider Skyway Aviation Handling Company Plc (SAHCO).
According to a statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, Laolu Akande, this was one of the highlights of the 6th meeting of the Council last Friday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He explained that the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Alex Okoh, had presented a memo to Council seeking its approval for the payment of the sum due to ex-SAHCO workers.
He 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 the disengagement of workers 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”, Akande said. The Council also received an update on the development of a 1,650 Mega Watts 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. As regards the update 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 3 (NSP Consortium, Mainstream Energy and Africa Plus Partners) were shortlisted to present proposals for the concession.