‎ WHY ARE DISENGAGED NEPA STAFF STILL UNPAID SINCE 2013? – MURIC

MUSLIM RIGHTS CONCERN (MURIC)

‎هيئة حقوق المسلمين

‎Motto: Dialogue, Not Violence

‎14^th January, 2026

‎‎PRESS RELEASE:

‎ WHY ARE DISENGAGED NEPA STAFF STILL UNPAID SINCE 2013? – MURIC

‎47,000 former staff of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) whose benefits have not been paid since 2013 have taken their case to the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) for intervention.

‎‎According to the Executive Director of the human rights organization, Professor Ishaq Akintola who addressed the issue on Wednesday, 14th January, 2026, the 47,000 ex-staff of PHCN are direct victims of Nigeria’s poor reward system. He appealed to the Federal Government (FG) to intervene.

‎‎His full statement reads:

‎‎”47,000 former staff of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) whose benefits have not been paid since 2013 have brought their case to our headquarters for intervention.

“Writing under the aegis of the United Ex-PHCN Staff Forum 2025, the PHCN ex-staff lamented how they were owed 16 months salary arrears before being disengaged. They recalled several meetings held with relevant authorities and  agreements reached with all relevant parties.

“According to them, the Federal Government set up a committee on the matter in 2011 to address labour issues arising from the privatization exercise. The committee was chaired by Comrade Hassan Sunmonu but its report was not implemented. Instead, a new agreement titled ‘Agreement in Respect of Labour Issues Affecting Staff of PHCN’ was signed on 11th December, 2012.

“The new agreement was signed by the Secretary to the Federal Government with representatives from the Ministries of Labour and Power, the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and key union leaders including Joe Ajaero and Dede Okpara.

“Among the items listed in this agreement were eight key items. These included payment of exit benefits, gratuity, death  benefits, settlement of 16 months’ salary arrears, post-retirement training, 10% equity share, and the resolution of non-care assets in power stations. Despite the agreement, the benefits remain unpaid to date.

“More circulars were issued, one was signed by Joe Ajaero and another by the Director General of BPE on 24th October, 2017 (Ref: BPE/EP/UMUN/002/17) reaffirming these commitments. Yet, BPE reneged on these agreements, redirecting them to the unions.

“MURIC condemns the attitude of Nigerian authorities who breach agreements solemnly reached with workers. It leads to lack of public trust in government enterprises. It also smirks of lack of the fear of Allah. These officials are either Muslims or Christians but their faith do not reflect in their attitudes.

“Economic justice is one of the cardinal teachings of Islam. The Glorious Qur’an commands prompt and adequate payment of workers. It warns that workers’ dues and benefits ‘should not be withheld from them…’ (Quran 11:85). The Qur’an also lays emphasis on the need to fulfil obligations (Qur’an 17:34 and 23:8).

“In the hadith, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) advocated prompt payment of workers (Ibn Majah) when he said ‘Pay the worker his wages before his sweat dries.’ Yet here are 47,000 ex-staff of PHCN who toiled day and night for the company. They were owed 16 months’ arrears (which means their sweats had dried on their faces already). How can Allah be pleased with those in charge?

“This is the plight of Nigerian workers. They are overworked, overtaxed but underpaid. Sometimes they are not even paid at all. This is the evil in capitalism. It is a fake drug administered by phoney doctors. It also exposes the Archile’s heel of democracy, weak, compromising, loose at all ends.

“Deuteronomy 24:14-15 commands paying labourers daily before sunset because they are poor and they need it. In James 5:4 the Bible says the cries of exploited workers reach God. It says inter alia, ‘Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.’ According to Romans 4:4 and 1 Timothy 5:18, a worker’s wage is an obligation, not a gift.

“Since their disengagement, the 47,000 ex-staff of PHCN have dwindled in number. Some had stroke. Others suffered the trauma of watching their loved ones in the pangs of pain with no money to take them to the hospital. Many of their children dropped out of school. We have no doubt that their cries have gone to God.

“MURIC jogs the collective conscience of those who inflict pain on the poor, those who milk the masses dry and still go to the mosque or church. Allah is waiting. You may think it is far but Allah says it is near (Qur’an 70:6-7).

“We in MURIC will continue to stand by the hoi polloi, the oppressed people of Nigeria. We will give voice to the voiceless, hope to the hopeless. We will sow eschatological fears in the hearts of economic extortionists, those who inherit the assets but deny the liabilities.

“Before we stop hitting the keyboard, we appeal to the Federal Government to quickly intervene. The calamities facing this country may not be unconnected with the horrible sins the wealthy and powerful commit against the poor. Perchance we will receive a listening ear and the Merciful and Beneficient will lift the cordon off the land.”

‎‎#PHCN

‎#Pay47000ExStaff

‎

‎Professor Ishaq Akintola,

‎Founder/Executive Director,

‎Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).