The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) said N373.38 billion had been spent so far to settle former workers of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

The Head, Public Communications of BPE, Mr. Alex Okoh, announced this on Wednesday in Abuja in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He said that out of 47,913 former staff, 47,029 had been settled, making it 98 per cent of the affected number that was settled.

Okoh said that the retirees and next of kin of deceased retirees had been paid N16.41 billion.

He said the outstanding payments were for 395 ex-active staff, 975 retirees and next of kin as well as 489 unidentified ex-active staff.

“These outstanding ones are due to incomplete documentation as at last verification.

“They are those still undergoing verification by the technical sub-committee of the Implementation Committee on Severance Payment and Payment Processing.”

NAN recalls that the former staff of the defunct power company had in May staged a protest at the BPE, demanding payment of their severance package.

The protest then was led by the President of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Mr. Mansur Musa, claiming that they had not been paid any money since they left service in 2013.

Okoh said that payment to the defunct NITEL/MTEL workers had not commenced due to unresolved legal issues.

“As for NITEL/MTEL, you will recall that those who had outstanding claims had gone to industrial court.

“Until the issues are resolved, there is nothing anyone can possibly do.” (NAN)

•Photo shows BPE DG Benjamin Dikki.