SAN FRANCISCO, February 06, (THEWILL) – Staffers of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, on Monday alleged that the appointment of Usman Gur Mohammed as the interim Managing-Director of the company is a ploy by a certain cabal to cede the TCN to the African Development Bank, AfDB.
The TCN staff, under the aegis of Nigerian Union of Electricity Employees, NUEEE, and Senior Staff Association Electricity Employees, SSAEE led by its Deputy General Secretary, Mr Nnamdi Ajibo made the allegation in Abuja, insisting that AfDB would not be allowed to take control of TCN simply because it was about to grant loans to the TCN.
They warned of a possible shut down of entire transmission network in the country, if nothing was done to arrest the situation.
But the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, in a swift reaction, clarified before the National Assembly in Abuja that the appointment of Mohammed was not a condition for the $174 million loan facility the company expected to get from the AfDB.
The Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Louis Edozien, had last Friday announced approval of the secondment of Alhaji Usman Gur Mohammed of the AfDB as interim Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the TCN.
But while rejecting the appointment of Mohammed, the workers accused the permanent secretary of violating the position of the National Assembly which said both parties should maintain the status quo.
The Chairman, FCT Council of NUEE, Mr Wilson Nwachukwu said: “Mohammed was drafted by the permanent secretary to take over from the current MD/COE without due process and a clear explanation on what the accountant was coming to do as the MD of TCN. But on a good note, we know he is coming to destroy and not to build.
“Nobody is against Mohammed but let the right thing be done. Let all parties be carried along. Nothing should be done as if the country or TCN is now a secret cult.”
But speaking when he appeared before the Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe-led Senate Committee on Power, Steel Development and Metallurgy and House of Representatives Joint Committee, led by Daniel Asuquo, the Minister said Mohammed’s appointment was not a condition for the loan facility from the bank.
He explained that the replacement of the former MD with Mohammed did not breach any law because the position had been vacant, disclosing that Mohammed had previously worked in the power sector for 17 and half years as the Head of Finance.
Asserting that the appointment of Muhammed could not be reversed since it was carried out in line in with a Presidential directive, Fashola pointed out that the President had the prerogative of making any political appointment.
This was as he noted that there had been series of petitions and infighting among Manitoba, the managing consulting firm hired by Federal Government for TCN and previous management of TCN.
