Federal Government disclosed to have paid about 40,093 workers of the erstwhile Power Holding Company (PHCN) as part of the handing over process of power installations to new investors.

Prof. Chinedu Nebo, the Minister of Power, revealed this while receiving the Donor Coordinating Group, led by the UNIDO Representative, Dr Patrick Kormawa, who paid him a visit in Abuja, on Monday, noting also that additional 5,000 cases needed verification.

According to Nebo, Federal Government was bent on ensuring that there was no impediment in the planned formal physical handover of power assets to the private owners, and had achieved 90 per cent success in the payment of the workers’ severance packages.

The professor applauded the contributions of donor agencies in the on-going privatisation of the sector, adding that the exercise would have experienced more hiccups, but for the expertise, foresight and doggedness of these partners.

He noted however that government would not allow unpatriotic individuals derail the process in transition, but would rather do all within its power to ensure that the objective of privatization was accomplished.