The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), has disclosed plans to collaborate with the Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC), in the ongoing reform and privatisation programme of the Federal Government.
Ag. Director General of BPE, Mr. Ignatius Ayewoh, stated this when he paid a courtesy visit to the President NLC, Mr. Joe Ajero.
Ayewoh emphasized the importance of collaboration with the labour unions in order to ensure the welfare of workers during and after reforms. He expressed gratitude to Ajero and the Union for their past support and urged them to continue partnering with the Bureau, particularly as members of the Technical Committee (TC) of the National Council on Privatisation (NCP).
Highlighting BPE’s previous successes in various sectors of the Nigerian economy such as telecoms, banking, Eleme petrochemical, and port terminal concessions, Ayewoh stated that the Bureau’s current strategy is focused on implementing Public Private Partnership (PPP) and concessioning.
Ayewoh informed Ajero that BPE is working closely with the Accountant General’s Office to ensure the payment of all outstanding severance liabilities arising from the 2013 privatisation of the power sector in accordance with agreements made with labour unions.
In his response, Ajero thanked Ayewoh for the visit and pledged the collaboration of the NLC with the Bureau in its reform activities.
It is worth noting that, in 2023 the BPE, along with other sister agencies, conducted a verification exercise for the payment of the agreed 16-month severance benefits to former staff of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), including certified Next-of-Kin (NOK) of deceased ex-staff. The exercise took place in twelve designated centers over four phases across the country.