Again, BPE Refutes Alleged Plan To Sell TCN

The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) has again said the federal government has no plan to sell state-owned Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to private investors.

The in a statement yesterday, said report that “the federal government is currently gearing up to put the Transmission Company of Nigeria, up for Sale” is completely false in all its ramifications and merely the fabrication of mischief makers aimed at creating room for another “needless strike by electricity workers.”

“The attention of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) has been drawn to a news publication alleging that “the federal government is currently gearing up to put the Transmission Company of Nigeria, up for Sale”.

“The BPE wishes to state that the news is completely false in all its ramifications. The allegation is a mere fabrication by mischief makers aimed at creating room for another needless strike by electricity workers.”

“The actions of the Federal Government in the power sector are guided by well-articulated policy documents and extant legislations,” the bureau said in the statement signed by head, Public Communications, Ibeh Uzoma Chidi.

Recall that the federal government had in 2001 approved the Nigerian Electric Power Policy (NEPP) document. The NEPP formed the basis for the enactment of the Nigerian Electricity Power Sector Reform Act (EPSRA), 2005. Also, a RoadMap for the Reform of the power sector was issued in 2010.

The BPE said that none of these documents envisaged the privatization of TCN and that was why a management contract was put in place to reorganise and optimise the operations of TCN during the 2013 privatisation exercise.

“The federal government has not changed its policy nor amended the EPSRA as it relates to TCN.

“The Bureau therefore urges electricity sector workers and indeed the general public to ignore completely this false publication,” it said.