The Ministry of Water and Power has reportedly assigned acting charge of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Gencos Holding Company Limited (GHCL) to an officer who is already facing two inquiries, sources told Business Recorder on Friday.
On March 25, Chairman Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) Syed Raghib Abbas Shah terminated the contract of CEO of GHCL Naveed Ismail, citing poor performance and gave the charge to Sultan Muhammad Zafar CEO Genco-III. The sources said the Additional Secretary Incharge, Rai Sikandar, and the Chairman Wapda discussed the issue with the caretaker Prime Minister Mir Hazar Khan Khoso prior to termination of his services. However, caretaker Prime Minister was not reportedly taken into confidence about assigning the acting charge to Sultan Muhammad Zafar.
According to sources, Sohail Muhammad Zafar, the acting CEO GHCL, is facing inquiries in procurement of material and appointments. When Business Recorder approached Chairman Wapda Syed Raghab Abbas Shah to know if he was aware that two inquiries are pending against the acting CEO, GHCL, he denied he had any such knowledge. He said that as and when Naveed Ismail was terminated, an acting charge had to be given to somebody for the interim period.
"We are scheduled to hold a Board meeting on April 2 this year after which new CEO will be appointed," he added. Shah assured this correspondent that an inquiry will be completed as soon as possible, adding that those officials will also be taken to task who withheld inquiries. The Chairman Wapda who has been appointed as co-ordinator for power sector, said that he would streamline the system.
The sources said, acting CEO, GHCL is reportedly convincing the high ups to initiate inquiry against the recently sacked CEO, saying that most the decisions he took were on personal whims and without taking the Board into confidence. Another official, who is aware of this development, accused Naveed Ismail of destroying 425-MW Nandipur hydropower project. The Water and Power Ministry has been criticised for not taking appropriate measures to complete the project.
Other accusations against Naveed Ismail are as follows: (i) unable to deliver/enhance generation to an acceptable limit; (ii) responsible for extreme delay in rehabilitation of various machines in Gencos I, II & III under the USAID program; (iii) resorting to nepotism and favouritism in postings and transfers; (iv) illegal appointment of senior positions reportedly of Finance Directors etc; (v) shutdown of coal fired plant at Lakhra;(vi) entering into dispute with state owned Lakhra Coal Development Company (LCDC) and illegal termination of the coal supply agreement without approval of the BoD/GoP; (vii) harassment of staff and delay in decision making;(viii) unavailable to BoD, CEO Gencos and others and remaining in Islamabad instead of visiting power stations; and (ix) extreme delay in preparation of plans for coal conversion of existing plants and PC-I's for new coal fired plants.