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The
federal government yesterday named a former leader of the Nigeria Labour
Congress (NLC), Hassan Sunmonu, as Chief Negotiator/Conciliator over
the lingering feud between it and the organised labour over unresolved
issues concerning the attempt to fully privatise the Power Holding
Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

The
appointment of the respected labour leader appears a major move to
forestall a possible negative impact the nationwide industrial action
proposed by the umbrella workers group might have on the country’s
economy if allowed to go ahead come May 1.

The
organised labour, under the aegis of National Union of Electricity
Employees (NUEE) and Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied
Companies (SSAEAC), has already issued a threat to plunge the nation
into darkness from next month if government fails to release the White
Paper on the report of the House Committee on Power, which investigated
the $16 billion scam involving the National Integrated Power Projects
(NIPP).

The
unions, which gave a 14-day ultimatum, had also asked government to
immediately respond to a number of issues affecting their members’
welfare with regard to the ongoing privatisation of the Power Holding
Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

Government acts

However,
presidency sources said yesterday that government was compelled to move
swiftly to avert any crisis capable of frustrating the run-up to
peaceful inauguration ceremonies of the new administration later next
month.

Head,
public communications, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Chukwuma
Nwokoh, said in Abuja yesterday that Mr. Sunmonu’s appointment was to
ensure that all unions affiliated to the NLC are carried along in the
power sector reform process towards a peaceful and speedy resolution of
all labour-related issues affecting the privatisation exercise.

Mr.
Sunmonu, who is currently the secretary general of the Organisation of
African Trade Union Unity (OATUU), said he had accepted the appointment,
in spite of his busy schedule, “because of the strategic importance of
the power sector on the socio-economic development of Nigeria.”

The
former NLC boss, who is currently based in Accra, Ghana, is expected
back in Nigeria early this week to meet with all the stakeholders, to
discuss details and modalities of his assignment, as well as work out
the plan to achieve its mandate.

Following
allegations that government was determined to go ahead to wind down the
company when issues concerning the workers’ entitlement were yet to be
resolved, the aggrieved PHCN staff, on January 7 this year, decided to
take their case before the Federal High Court in Abuja, accusing the
Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mohammed Adoke, of gross
insensitivity and negligence.

In
the suit filed on their behalf by 16 plaintiffs through their legal
Counsel, Bamidele Aturu, the workers sought the determination of four
key issues, namely an order of perpetual injunction restraining the
“defendant whether by himself, privies, agents, subordinates or
otherwise howsoever, or by whomsoever, from privatising the successor
companies to the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, or otherwise
divesting the shares in those successor companies held on behalf of all
Nigerians.”

Similarly, the workers also asked the court to grant a perpetual
injunction restraining the government, through the AGF, from
transferring workers and members of the PHCN to the successor companies
created under Section 8 of the same Act without the consent of the
workers, amongst five other declarative reliefs.