The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) has expressed its readiness to collaborate with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in its current reforms and privatisation programme of the Federal Government.
The Acting Director-General of the Bureau, Mr. Ignatius Ayewoh, made this remark when he recently paid a courtesy visit to the President of the labour union, Comrade Joe Ajero, in Abuja
Ayewoh emphasized the importance of collaboration with the labour unions to ensure the welfare of workers during and after government agency reforms and thanked Ajero and the Union for their past support for the Bureau and urged them to continue partnering with it, 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 company, and port terminal concessions, the Director-General pointed out that the Bureau’s current strategy was focused on implementing Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and concessioning in its transactions.
In addition, Ayewoh told the NLC leaders that BPE was working closely with the Accountant-General of the Federation (AOGF) 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 remarks, Ajero thanked the BPE boss on the visit and pledged the collaboration of the NLC with the Bureau in its reform activities.
It would be recalled that in 2023 the BPE and 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 12 designated centres in four phases across the country.
