Labour kicks against renewal of TCN’s mgt contract

WORKERS in the nation’s power sector, weekend in Lagos, raised alarm over plot by some government
officials to renew the management contract with Manitoba Hydro International to take over the  Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, today, despite perceived failure to fulfill terms and conditions of earlier contract.

Operating on the platform of the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, the workers lamented that the company with the Federal Government had on May 28, 2012, entered into a three year management contract to transform TCN into a technically and financially efficient, sustainable, stable, commercially viable and market driving company that is capable of evacuating the maximum capacity of generated energy from the generating companies to the distribution companies, DISCOs and large consumers throughout Nigeria on 24 hours  daily operation.

But NUEE in a statement by its General Secretary, Mr. Joe Ajaero, gave   34 reasons why workers in the sector had described the management contractor as a failure, insisting that “The management contractor has failed to recognize best practical, cost effective solutions on the table for quickly improving the TCN that were recommended by actual power sector experts, management contractor instead chooses to seek private audience with government to plead that they are victims of circumstance instead of admitting their failure and the market requires discipline and accountability, not political posturing.

”If the administration is still confused over this matter, then the best solution is to have the management contractor and actual power sector experts sit together with it to address every issue for properly determining the fate of the TCN management contract.”

NUEE listed perceived failures to include “failure to improve voice communications that are critical for safety and reliability control, failure to effectively administer or enforce the Grid Code or Market Rules, failure to improve the emergency preparedness focus of the TCN and failure to provide best practice company business continuity plan or emergency response plan.’’