By Damilola Omosebi
The echoes of suffering grow louder, yet they fall on deaf ears. The voices of former PHCN workers; men and women who powered Nigeria’s electricity sector for decades; are now drowned in the cruel silence of bureaucratic indifference. While other parastatals have long been settled, these ex-workers remain trapped in a nightmare, denied their rightful severance packages, left to languish in poverty, their hopes crushed under the weight of unfulfilled promises.
President Bola Tinubu, as you sit in the hallowed chambers of Aso Rock, do you hear their cries? Do you see the tears of pensioners who gave their youth to this nation, only to be abandoned in their old age? Can you deliver them from this monster of injustice?
A Legacy of Broken Promises.
The privatization of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) in 2013 was meant to herald a new era of efficiency and progress. But for thousands of former workers, it became the beginning of an unending nightmare. While the government assured them that their severance packages would be paid promptly, over a decade later, many are still waiting.
In contrast, workers from other privatized parastatals like NITEL and Nigeria Airways have received their dues. Why then are PHCN ex-workers treated as second-class citizens? Why must they march endlessly under the scorching sun, clutching faded employment letters, begging for what is rightfully theirs?
One of the affected workers, Pa Joseph Adebayo, a 68-year-old former engineer, lamented:
“I served this country for 35 years. I believed in Nigeria. Now, I can barely afford my medications. My children see me as a failure because I cannot help them. Is this how Nigeria rewards its own?”
His story is not unique. Thousands like him are stranded, their lives hanging in limbo, their dignity stripped away by a system that has turned its back on them.
The Human Cost of Government Neglect.
The denial of these severance packages is not just a financial issue; it is a moral catastrophe. Families have been broken. Dreams have been extinguished. Some have died waiting, their graves becoming the only monuments to their suffering.
Mrs. Grace Okon, widow of a former PHCN technician, shared her anguish:
“My husband died waiting for his benefits. He kept saying, ‘They will pay us soon.’ But ‘soon’ never came. Now, I am left with nothing—no pension, no gratuity, just memories of a man who believed in a country that betrayed him.”
How many more must suffer before justice is served? How many more graves must be dug before this nation acknowledges its debt to these forgotten heroes?
President Tinubu – A Test of Leadership
President Bola Tinubu, you campaigned on the mantra of “Renewed Hope.” You promised a government that would listen, that would right the wrongs of the past. Now is the time to prove that those words were not mere political rhetoric.
The PHCN ex-workers do not ask for charity; they demand what is rightfully theirs. They demand justice. They demand the restoration of their dignity.
Your administration has the power to end this suffering. The question is: Do you have the will?
Nigerians are watching. History is recording. Will you be the president who finally delivers these suffering citizens from the monster of neglect? Or will you, like those before you, look away while they perish in silence?
A Call to Action
The solution is clear:
- Immediate Verification and Payment: A transparent and expedited verification process must be conducted to ensure all legitimate ex-PHCN workers receive their severance packages without further delay.
- Accountability for Past Failures: Those responsible for the prolonged delay must be held accountable. Corruption and bureaucratic bottlenecks cannot continue to trample on the rights of citizens.
- Legislative Safeguards: Laws must be strengthened to ensure that no worker, in any sector, is subjected to such inhuman treatment in the future.
President Tinubu, the time to act is now. As the saying goes, “A society is judged by how it treats its weakest members.” Will Nigeria be judged as a nation that honors its heroes or one that discards them when they are no longer useful?
The PHCN ex-workers have waited long enough. Their patience has been exhausted. Their faith is fading. But it is not too late for you to be the leader who heals these wounds, who restores their hope, who proves that Nigeria can indeed be a nation of justice and compassion.
Mr. President, can you deliver us from this monster?
The answer lies in your hands.
