Manitoba not a TCN concessionaire, says Nebo

The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, on Thursday clarified the role of Manitoba Hydro International in the running of the nation's transmission network to the already agitated employees of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria and labour union officials.

According to Nebo, Manitoba is only given delegated authority as an outfit with international clout to manage the company for a stipulated period of three to five years.

Nebo said the clarification became necessary in order to erase the impression being created, especially among PHCN workers and labour unions, that Manitoba had already taken position as the concessionaire of TCN.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Power, the minister enjoined the Manitoba management to respect the rights of Nigerian workers as entrenched in the law, while asking the workers to do their jobs well.

Nebo was quoted as saying, 'In today's world, everything must be bench-marked within the dictate of international standard; hence we must provide the enabling environment at this stage of our transition for businesses to thrives.

'We want peace for the work in the hands of Manitoba is enormous. We must have a robust transmission network as power warehouse is a waste. So, that is why Manitoba is very important.'

The minister assured the workers that nobody would take over the operations of government-owned establishments in the power sector without settling the labour issues.

He emphasised that TCN was 100 per cent wholly owned by the Federal Government and gave an assurance that no worker would be laid off by the new management of the company.

'Let no one fear, Manitoba Hydro International is under the Board of TCN, which is turn under the Power ministry,' Nebo said.