8—Vanguard, FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2015
PHCN's severance payments gulp N389.58bn —FG
A
BUJA — SEVERANCE payments to workers of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, have so far gulped more than N389.58 billion from the national treasury. The exercise involved payments to no fewer than 46,744 or 98 per cent out of the 47,913 bonafide staff, who received over N373.17billion as their final entitlements as well as some 2,791 retirees, who got more than N16. 41billion. Director General, Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, Mr. Benjamin Dikki, revealed this yesterday to members of the National Union of Electricity Employees of Nigeria, NUEE, who came to protest in his office in Abuja. Dikki was quoted as telling the union in a statement made available to Vanguard, that only 1,169 of the 47,913 workers of the defunct PHCN and about 1,516 retirees have not yet to be paid. The disclosure was said to have followed a protest by NUEE, led by its National President, Comrade Mansur Musa, who went to the bureau’s office in Abuja to protest the non-payment of severance benefits to some of their members. For the workers, he explained that the outstanding number included those that had exited PHCN before the severance payment commenced; those being processed for validation; and those yet to be identified by PHCN as bona fide workers. While the outstanding retirees are made up of those who have so far failed to turn up for verification or were still undergoing further verification, and the next of kin of the deceased staff that could not produce the letters of administration. Dikki also said for the active staff, the number of beneficiaries was processed in 30 batches and the retirees in 11 batches.
Mu’azu, Anenih were not forced out —Secondus zSays NWC members won't resign By Ben Agande
A
BUJA—ACTING Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, has dismissed reports that the erstwhile chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Mu‘azu and former chairman of the Board of Trustees, BoT, Chief Tony Anenih were forced to resign their positions on Wednesday. Speaking with State House correspondents yesterday, Secondus also affirmed that the remaining 11 members of the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party will not resign but rather dedicate themselves to rebuilding of the party. According to him, it was simply coincidental that the two men resigned their positions on the same day. Secondus who succeeded Mu‘azu on Wednesday spoke after a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Speaking against the background of calls by some other stakeholders including Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State and presidential campaign spokesman, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, that the remaining members of the
NWC should follow Mu‘azu out, Secondus said there was no basis for that given that the NWC officers’ stay in office was tenured. Debunking insinuations that Mu‘azu was forced out as chairman of the party, he said: “You know that is not right, it is unconstitutional, because the chairman did that voluntarily, and the BoT Chairman also did that voluntarily. Some of the
others have tenures, at the end of our tenure if we are re-elected, fine, if not that is the right thing to do. There is no reason for us to resign because we have worked hard." On the coincidence of the resignation of both the former national chairman and the former BoT Chairman, he said: “Sometimes it happens that way. Nobody forced them to go.”
Explaining the purpose of his visit to the villa, he said: “I just came here to interact with our leader, Mr. President.” Asked on expectations from the party, he said: “Sitting back to reorganize and then re-invent our party, and to assure our teeming supporters and members that the party is intact without any problem.”
MEETING: Chairman, National Council on Privatization, Vice President Namadi Sambo (right) receiving a souvenir from the Director General, Bureau for Public Enterprises, BPE, Mr. Benjamin Dikki during the valedictory board meeting of the BPE at the State House, Abuja, yestersday. Phot: Abayomi Adeshida.
42 killed in Benue, Plateau attacks By Peter Duru & Marie-Therese Nanlong
J
OS — ABOUT 42 people were, yesterday, reportedly killed in Benue and Plateau States during separate attacks by unknown gunmen. Twenty seven persons were said to have been killed in some communities in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State while 15 others were killed at the popular Kyado Market in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State, bringing the total number of those killed in the two neighbouring states to 42. The victims in Plateau State were killed during a night attack despite the curfew imposed on the area. In Benue, the victims were killed Wednesday afternoon when unknown
armed men opened fire on traders at the market even as many, including children, also sustained varying degrees of injuries at the marker popularly known for its booming yam trade. However, Barkin Ladi in Plateau was one of the seven local governments where curfew was imposed but night attacks had been going on daily for about three weeks now with many people mostly women and children being killed. Chairman of the council, Emmanuel Loman, who confirmed the attack, yesterday, blamed the incident on some Fulani herdsmen who he said attacked both Ninji and Popp villages without provocation, killing 20 persons. He said: “As I talk to you, I am at the mass burial of 27 people killed by the Fulani and their mercenaries. The act is being perpetrated by the Fulani who live in the
communities and aided by their mercenaries. The attackers want to make Barkin Ladi another Sambisa forest at all cost.” He, therefore, called on security operatives to be proactive as the situation was getting out of hand.
On Riyom attack Residents of the area and neighbouring Riyom Local Government Area had been also under severe attack in the last three days with many residents relocating to other areas for fear of being killed. Also, in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, an eye witness told Vanguard that the gunmen, who were about six in number, stormed the ever busy market located close to Wukari, along the BenueTaraba State border, at about 12:30pm at the peak of trading activities
“They stormed the market in a commando manner, when business activities were at peak at about 12:30pm, and suddenly opened fire on the traders and their customers, most of whom were trading in tubers of yam. “There was pandemonium everywhere, people, including children, started scampering in different directions but unfortunately, about 13 persons were killed by the gunmen, while many also sustained injuries. “After the sporadic shooting which lasted about 10 minutes, the gunmen retreated to the car they came in and drove off." Contacted, Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Assistant Superintendent, ASP, Austin Ezeani, confirmed the killings, saying the police recorded the death of three persons and five cases of injuries in the incident.