RECRUITMENT:LABOUR FAULTS POWER MINISTRY MOVE TO ENGAGE HR CONSULTANTS

 PHCN HEADQUARTERS

 Workers of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) have faulted plans by the power ministry to draw about N109.3 million from PHCN accounts to engage the services of human resource consultants for the recruitment of 500 engineers for the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

Arrangements have been concluded by the power ministry to engage the services of six consultants from the six geopolitical zones to recruit engineers for the TCN. They are: Kaduna Business School (North-central), Binary Consulting (North-east), Dabiserv Consulting (North Central), Moradechi Nigeria Limited (South-south), Bridge Gap Investment Limited (South-east) and Ad’mas Digital Technologies Limited (South-west).

Reacting to the development, the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) stated that it was a waste of tax payer’s money, stating that all the PHCN zonal offices across the country were well equipped with human resource personnel, who would carry out the responsibility with less cost.

General Secretary of the union, Joe Ajaero, in a statement issued Monday, questioned why the ministry would tinker with the scarce resources of an ailing department with overwhelming challenges.

Besides, he wondered why PHCN should fund projects undertaken by the power ministry, when the ministry had in its kitty approved and allocated votes for its operations.

Ajaero, who described the action of the ministry as an aberration to standard practice insisted that the ministry has no business to recruit for PHCN rather stressed that the Human Resource Department of the company be encouraged and made to carry out its duties without extraneous manipulations and concerns.

He called on the authorities to stop the seeming unwholesome practice that is capable of truncating the progress in the power sector reform.

“We have been inundated of an unholy intent of the Power Ministry to commit waste of tax payer’s money in the name of wanting to recruit Engineers for the Transmission Company of Nigeria, PHCN.

“Besides, what has gone wrong with the Power Ministry’s vote for the year?  When has it become the responsibility of PHCN to fund projects undertaken by the Power Ministry, when the Ministry has in its kitty approved and allocated votes for its operations. This action to state the least is an aberration to standard practice as TCN, PHCN has full compliments of Human Resource Department (HR) in-charge of recruitments.

“There are seasoned and competent personnel who over the years have been undauntedly forte in their responsibilities.  All the PHCN zonal offices in the Federation are well equipped with HR personnel who would carry out the responsibility with less cost. In our view, out sourcing such responsibilities can be entertained when there is dearth of adequate qualified personnel and manpower but in this instance, everything is in place.

“It is therefore imperative to call on the power ministry and all relevant ‘authorities’ to stop this seeming unwholesome practice that is capable of truncating the progress we are making in the power sector reform,” the union said.