Labour Union Says Former TCN Boss was Sacked For Exposing Alleged N6bn Fraud

By UDO ONYEKA

The United Labour Congress, ULC, has said the hasty and unwarranted removal of the Transmission Company of Nigeria’s (TCN) Managing Director; Usman Mohammed is an indications that Mohammed may have been sacrificed to pave the way for some fraudulent activities.

The ULC said the removal plan has been in the making all these while because “the former TCN MD may have stood in the way of some powerful men in the Power Ministry and the Presidency who may have set their sights on some juicy projects in the sector”, a statement signed by ULC, President, Comrade Ajaero said.

ULC said: “At stake is the effort to locate an office complex for the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). An office complex which had hitherto been located and was agreed by all the major stakeholders in the TCN for N7 billion was later reviewed up by the Minister to N13 billon. This is for the purchase of the same building without any further improvement. This is a mindboggling difference of N6 billion that cannot be explained in any way and which the Minister wanted paid.

“The Former TCN MD’s refusal to play along became a cardinal sin that demanded his axing. Now that they may have succeeded in their plot to remove him, the latest information just reaching us is that they want to commence the initial payment to the owners of the building in the next few days.”

According to ULC Usman  Mohammed is an expert who had made huge impact in building and delivering Transmission capacity within the nation.

The Congress said he came well recommended from African Development Bank AfDB and within  a short period he been able to increase the capacity of the company to over 8,000MW deliverable capacity which is almost a 60 per cent increase over what he met on assumption of office.

ULC said “His effectiveness is located in his altruism and commitment to the objectives of the company and the mandate to ensure an accountable and transparent operation of the Transmission Company within the ambits of the anti-corruption framework of the federal government. Little did he know that his insistence on probity and due process was going to pit him against those who want to turn the company and indeed the Power sector into money making conduit for themselves and their cronies.

“In Nigeria and especially under the present Minister of Power, the penchant for the removal of very fruitful and productive officers in favour of unproductive and sycophantic ones seems to have become the norm. He has developed a rather sinister penchant for sacking heads of the different parastatals and agencies under his supervision in questionable circumstance. He has been forced to rescind most of them after careful investigation by the Presidency. We wonder why a man with such unenviable records would still be allowed to hold his office.

“At a time when global Oil prices have plummeted below the budget benchmark and has reduced fiscal space available to the nation, it would be unconscionable to allow such funds misapplied. We must ensure as a nation that each penny counts and every fund invested must deliver commensurate value to our nation.”

Further ULC said the federal government , especially the President Muhammadu Buhari must intervene quickly in the spirit of his anti-corruption drive to halt these unwholesome actions.

The Union also said “We believe that Usman Mohammed having demonstrated deep patriotism for our nation ought to be rewarded by the federal government rather than attempts at vilifying him with the dishonourable removal from office. He has attained loft heights for TCN and this may be lost. It is our duty to protect and applaud those who have done well and shame those who have not. This is one bright spot that we must encourage as a people so that others can emulate and serve the nation the same way.

“Nigerians need to find answers to the following questions from the Minister of Power; why pursue the office complex for TCN now? Is it that imperative given the realities of our nation and indeed the Electricity sector? Why did he move into the TCN office annexing two floors unto himself? Why is he the only Power Minister to have moved into this Complex? Why the rush to pay for the new Complex immediately after the shady removal of the MD of TCN-Gur Mohammed? Why go for a building that was rejected by workers and critical stakeholders for N7 billion in 2015 because it had very little parking space at N13 billion now? Why displace TCN from their property in such a hurry? Why would such amount be spent to satisfy the apparent opulent tastes and lifestyle of the Minister even when workers entitlements are still pending? Why would he prefer not to pay these workers entitlements in keeping with the agreement reached between the parties involving his Ministry, the Ministry of labour, the BPE and the Accountant General of the Federation and the workers representative – NUEE even as it has expired but pursues the satisfaction of occupying an office complex?

“The need to call the Minister of Power to order has now more than before become very urgent. He has become a source of not just international embarrassment to the nation but also a present danger to the objectives of the federal government in the Power sector. If we want to get Electricity sector working again, this Minister must either redeployed or shown the way out of the Government completely.

There is an urgent need to scrutinize the Siemens transmission contract as it is laden with inconsistencies. The President must not allow this planned rip off of our treasury and that is the only way to demonstrate the commitment of the president to the battle against corruption which is the central theme of his administration”, ULC  statement said.

According to the Labour union It has become important that all patriotic Nigerians should arise and defend our collective patrimony from the hands of those seeking its decimation. N6billion would build schools, pay salaries that are still in arrears, construct some new roads and build new hospitals to begin to plug the whole in our health care system.