FG Signs a $23 m contract on power with Canadian firm

In its effort to ensure constant power supply across
the country, the Federal Government, through the
Bureau of Public Enterprise and the Ministry of
Power, has signed a three-year contract of $23
million with a Canadian company, Manitoba Hydro
International.
This took place on Monday, at the headquaters of
Bureau of Public Enterprise in Abuja.
In his speech, after signing of the contract ,the
Minister of Power, Professor Barth Nnaji described it
as a welcome development, and implored the staff of
the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) to
identify themselves with the development.
He explained that Manitoba Hydro International
would only bring eight staff to the PHCN, who would
fill the positions of eight PHCN staff. He stressed that
the eight disengaged PHCN staff could deputise the
new eight Manitoba staff without any decrease in
their salaries.
He assured the PHCN workers that government
would not disengage any staff outrightly, except
anyone who does not welcome the development.
Also speaking, the Director General of the Bureau of
Public Enterprise (BPE), Miss Bolanle Onagoruwa,
said that the BPE has engaged union members of the
PHCN several times to explain things to them. She
further said that, the PHCN workers had been paid
their monetisation of about N50 billion. She also
added that the workers were also paid 50 per cent of
their salaries.
Onagoruwa, therefore, enjoined the PHCN workers to
cooperate with the Federal Government to bring
about constant power supply in the country.
While responding, the Managing Director of Manitoba
Hydro International, Mr Lorne Halpenny, said that the
company would engage in reinforcing and stabilising
the power sector and also train staff of the PHCN.