The Nation Newspaper

Category: Energy

  • Govt to grow economy with solar, others

    The Federal Government will grow the economy by generating power from both on-grid and off-grid sources, Power, Works and Housing Minister Babatunde Raji Fashola has said.

    He said generating electricity from these sources was key to realising the government’s economic goals.

    Speaking at the inauguration of solar electrification project in Iponri, Lagos, he said provision of solar and other off-grid methods of power generation was inevitable, if the country wants to grow the economy, adding the development informed the decision to support the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to boost businesses with solar power.

    He said the government, through a scheme known as Energising Economies Initiatives, has assisted in providing electricity to markets across the country.

    He said 700 mini-grids were conceptualised in Iponri market to provide solar power to shop-owners in the market.

    Fashola said: “The Federal Government is bouying activities in Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) through various energy sources. SMEs remain engine of economic growth in any nation and the government in realisation of this fact is ready to improve activities in that sub-sector of the economy.

    “Markets in places, such as Aba, Warri, Sabon-gari and other areas, are benefitting from the scheme.  These markets are enjoying energy that is cheaper, cleaner and highly accessible. Owners of shops are paying between N1500 and N2000, implying that the charges are moderate and good for their businesses. Good in the sense  that those business-owners are no longer facing environmental hazards caused by the use of generators, coupled with the fact that they spend a lot of money in fueling their generators.”

    He said the charges were cheaper compared to the bills paid by electricity consumers.

    Also, the Rural Electrification Agency Managing Director, Mrs Damilola Ogunbiyi, said the development of modules for solar electricity by indigenous meters manufacturers was necessary to enable solar energy consumers further minimise cost.

    “I cannot advise people we are trying to help build their businesses through provision of solar energy, to procure meters for over N30,000. To me, it is expensive. That is why meter manufacturers should try and develop modules, which would be applicable to solar electricity.” he said.

    She said mini-grids serve 450 shops out of 1700 shop at Iponri, adding the shops in the market, were in various tiers depending on their level of consumption on the solar hybrid power system, which has 700 kilowatts capacity.

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    The Federal Government, through the Rural Electrification Agency, implements the Energising Economies Initiative (EEI), which supports the rapid deployment of off-grid electricity solutions to provide clean, safe, affordable and reliable electricity to economic clusters (e.g. marketplaces, shopping centres, industrial facilities) in Nigeria through private sector developers.

    EEI aims to assist over 80,000 shops within a year, empower over 340,000 micro, small and medium-size enterprises, create over 2,500 jobs with the initial 16 economic clusters while serving over 18 million Nigerians.

    ‘’This initiative is already transforming businesses across the country with the steady power supply increasing economic activity, spurring business growth, fostering job creation and enhancing the business experience.

    “The solar power solution will eradicate noise and air pollution in the market and has encouraged customers to spend more time in the shop,’’  Mrs Ogunbiyi said.

  • NLNG, Dangote, others get awards

    Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) has received a special recognition award, for demonstrating virtues that  impact on the lives of Nigerians

    According to NLNG’s Manager, Communications and Public Affairs, Andy Odeh, the firm was recognised by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) at the agency’s Corporate Dinner and Merit Awards in Lagos, for its contributions to the realisation of the agency’s mandate on safety on the waterways, especially the Bonny-Port Harcourt sea route, which borders NLNG’s area of operation in Rivers State.

    Recently, the company was involved in the rescue of 12 victims of a boat mishap on the Bonny Sea.

    NLNG, through its subsidiary, NLNG Ship Management Limited (NSML), has been supporting NIMASA  in developing the sector.

    NSML is facilitating a Seafarer Continuous Development Programme (SCDP), which has 36 NIMASA-sponsored cadets on NSML managed vessels.

    NSML’s plan is to continue to partner  NIMASA by providing best in-class sea services to cadets in line with the NLNG’s vision of building a better Nigeria.

    The SCDP programme will be of benefit to over 1,000 cadets, who are in need of berth space on board vessels, to obtain the mandatory sea time requirement for their progress.

    NLNG’s  Managing Director Mr. Tony Attah acknowledged NIMASA’s commitment at ensuring order and safety on the water ways, and solicited more cooperation from the agency to sustain the success of NLNG’s operations as Nigeria’s major player in the global LNG market, with significant shipping activities, managed by its subsidiary, NLNG Ship Manning Limited (NSML).

    Attah recalled the contributions of NLNG to the development of the shipping sector. He noted the risks that sea piracy pose to the company’s business on the Bonny Channel.

    He expressed strong belief that NIMASA would not relent in nipping the trend in the bud.

    Other awardees include  frontline industrialists and business moguls, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, and Mr. Femi Otedola, Emir of Kano, Mallam Sanusi Lamido, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi.

  • NNPC, Sahara Group’s JV boost LPG supply

    The Joint Venture (JV) between the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Sahara Group has delivered 437,170 metric tons of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to consumers in two years.

    The firms, in 2017, in Ulsan, South Korea, unveiled two new LPG vessels with a combined capacity of 38,000 cubic meters (cbm). The vessels – MT Africa Gas and MT Sahara Gas, have since delivered 437,170 metric tons of LPG, making households, communities and nations cleaner and safer; boosting economic growth and development across markets, Sahel Corporate Communications Manager of Sahara Group Limited, Mr. Bethel Obioma.

    Obioma said: “It had to be the product of collaboration – at its finest and most strategic level – a Joint Venture (JV) between the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Sahara Group, a leading international energy and infrastructure conglomerate.

    “The Joint Venture operates as the West Africa Gas Limited (WAGL) and is run by two companies, NNPC Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NNPC and Sahara Energy’s Oil and Gas trading arm, Ocean Bed Trading Limited (BVI). The JV is addressing LPG related transportation bottlenecks, availability and quality concerns, deepening the LPG market in West Africa and other markets and above all, enhancing access to clean and safe energy.

    “Sahara Group is delighted to play a pivotal role in the JV as it continues to provide leadership across the entire global energy sector value chain, with a distinction for safety, excellence, good corporate governance and outstanding corporate citizenship.

    “The two vessels have performed several transatlantic voyages delivering 437,170MT of butane in mainly West Africa with spot calls in Europe and South America.”

    NNPC Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, at the inauguration of the vessels in South Korea, said their acquisition was an achievement for Nigeria considering that the JV was  recording successes within a short period having been established in 2013, adding that the continuing success of the operations of these vessels lends credence to the comments.

    Also during the maiden voyage of MT Sahara Gas to Nigeria, the  Asharami Synergy Plc (A Sahara Group Downstream Company) Chief Executive Officer, Moroti Adedoyin-Adeyinka, said: “What we see here today speaks to the power of collaboration and the great things that can be achieved when the private and public sector work together with the right strategy, expertise and capacity. At Sahara, this is the kind of collaboration that we push for; one that makes our economy better and saves our planet.”

  • Govt, DisCos, others urged to improve power supply

    The Federal Government, power distribution companies (DisCos) and gas suppliers have been urged to provide to improve  electricity supply.

    Recently, the Federal Government claimed that the power generation has hit 7,000 megawatts (Mw).

    Research and Planning Director, Association, Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED) Sunday Oduntan said a lot needs to be done  to ensure that the sector performs optimally.

    In an interview on phone with The Nation, he urged stakeholders, including the Federal Government to improve liquidity, proffer solution to gas problems, rid the sector of pipeline vandalism among solving other problems, before power supply would improve in the country.

    Oduntan said: “There are some challenges that need to be tackled by many stakeholders especially the Federal Government, the DisCos and gas suppliers. These include lack of liquidity that hampers operations, energy theft and others.

    “The vandalism of facilities that occur too often is also a serious problem that leads to huge deficit. No bank would lend you money unless your business is bankable.

    According to him, liquidity crisis is a major threat to the power sector, adding that the issue has culminated in revenue shortfalls, poor network expansion, and others.

    He said DisCos do not have enough money to repair and replace equipment that is vital to their continued growth in the industry.

    A non-governmental organi-sation,  Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), in a report, blamed the problems on corruption.

    The organisation said allegations of corruption have had catastrophic effects on the lives of millions of Nigerians, akin to crimes against humanity as contemplated under the Rome Statue and within the jurisdiction of the court.

    It said huge amounts of public funds alleged to have been stolen over the years in the electricity sector created these problems.

    “Crimes against humanity are not only physical violence; allegations of corruption in the electricity sector hold a comparable gravity, which the Prosecutor should examine and thoroughly investigate.

    “Corrupt officials and corrupt contractors in the electricity sector know well that their conduct is criminal and injurious, and the denial of human dignity coupled with a radical breach of solemn trust, aggravate their alleged crime,” it added.

  • Ikeja Electric cautions against activities around power lines

    TO ensure safety of lives, Ikeja Electric Plc (IE) has cautioned the public against building structures and engaging in social and economic activities under power lines.

    The company said the specific clearance/distance which the public must maintain away from a 33/11KV lines is 5.5 metres (20ft) on both sides; for 132KV lines, the distance must be 15 meters (50ft) on both sides and 330KV lines must have a clearance of 25meters (60ft) on both sides.

    IE’s Head of Quality, Safety, Health & Environment (QHSE), Jamiu Badmos, explained that carrying out social and economic activities under power lines exposes people to danger, leading to the risk of electrocution.

    According to him, fatality within the energy sector can be prevented if the public religiously adhere to precautions and avoid activities close to electrical installations.

    “As a responsible service provider, we are aware of our obligation to ensure that every resident within our network is kept safe, especially bearing in mind the hazardous nature of electricity so we are using this medium to remind the public that electrical installations are harmful and must be avoided as much as is possible. Our appeal to customers to avoid activities under power lines must be taken seriously, especially as the integrity of old cables cannot always be guaranteed,” he said.

    He revealed that even with the huge resources IE has spent on enlightenment campaigns to sensitise the public on inherent dangers of life-threatening activities, some of the people have remained adamant.

    Badmos further called for the intervention of the government and relevant stakeholders in stemming this ugly development by declaring activities under power line as illegal and moving people and markets away from the danger spots to save lives and properties.

    He added that customers could report cases of illegal structures under power lines, illegal connections and vandalism of equipment through Ikeja Electric customer care help lines numbers: 01-4483900, 0700-0-2255-43, 070-7000-250 or send mail via customercare@ikejaelectric.com.

    As a company that places high priority to safety in line with its quality, health, safety and environment policy, IE has consistently championed initiatives that entrenches the culture of safety to ensure no life of staff, contractors or customers is lost through electrocution.

    Recently, the company unveiled its mission slogan – Mission Zero-Take Ownership – for the year, which  a rallying cry for stakeholders to  ensure that the network records zero fatality.

    Mission Zero focuses on four main areas: zero Injuries to customers, visitors, contractors and employers; zero tolerance of unsafe behavior and acts; zero compromise on safety generally and zero impact on families and communities, the Head, Corporate Communications, Felix Ofulue said.

  • MEMMCOL, Disco partner on substation enhancement

    To enhance quality electricity distribution service delivery to consumers, Ikeja Electric (IE) is partnering Momas Electricity Meters Manufacturing Company Limited (MEMMCOL), an indigenous meter manufacturing company, on substation enhancement.

    Speaking during the handover of the Onipanu 500KVA distribution substation, the pilot scheme of the project in Lagos, IE Chief Technical Coordinator Sunday Oyewole commended MEMMCOL management for the innovation, which would transform and enhance service delivery.

    Oyewole noted that as the number one electricity distribution firm in Nigeria, IE is concerned about the quality of electricity supplied to its esteemed customers.

    He commended the management of MEMMCOL for the innovation, which he acknowledged, would ensure greater efficiency.

    “At Ikeja Electric (IE), we would continue to push the limits in terms of managing our distribution network, we would look into the findings of your report on this project with a view to collaborate with you to bring this kind of enhancement to all our over 16,000 substations,” he said.

    MEMMCOL Chairman Kola Balogun explained that the substation enhancement project was conceptualised to push for migration of substations from the old-fashioned fuse-based to a more intelligent and efficient breaker-driven substation installed with surveillance in line with global trends.

    Balogun further stressed that the enhanced substation is an intelligent substation, which would help to protect and optimise electricity transformers creating efficiency and ensuring load balance and control hitherto not achievable with the fuse-based substation.

    “Beyond load balance which ensures efficiency, the breaker-driven substation is equipped with a reactive compensation capability to compensate for any anomaly that can happen in the substation. In other words, the new enhanced substation would further position Ikeja Electric as a world-class distribution company (DisCo) to better serve all connected customers,” he said.

    He said the infusion of surveillance into the project would  show responsibility on IE’s part by monitoring and capturing everything that happens within the substation and the installed environment, thereby providing security not only for the substation but also for the community.

    He added that the data from the surveillance could be used to ascertain any case of trespass or any other incident for purpose of review rather than assumptions or argument.

    According to Balogun, incorporating surveillance into the design for the enhanced substation is a smart two-way value proposition, as the substation would protect the surveillance system while the latter would protect the substation.

    He advised that the strategy  be adopted in providing surveillance for the critical assets, and highways across the country.

    Balogun stated that the fuse-based distribution substation allows for energy wastage and that the enhancement would save the DisCo a minimum of N3million  by reducing leakages and improving efficiency and stabilities required at the electricity downstream value chain.

    Unfolding the features of the newly enhanced substation, Balogun said the substation has a proprietary power enhancement panel, cable termination and jointing using pfisterer lugs and connector, and Up riser of 415 cable clearing and neatning, standard earthing and beautification of the substation and the installation of surveillance with solar panel.

  • ‘Data, others hampering electricity supply’

    THE electricity supply subsector  lacks quality and dependable data, the Executive Secretary, Association of Power Generation Companies (APGC), Dr. Joy Ogaji has said.

    Ogaji, who spoke with The Nation on telephone, she said data was necessary to determine distribution, transmission, and generation infrastructure growth requirements.

    She said the state of the market  determines whether generation capacity should increase or not.

    She said: “Again, the market was faced with financial, operational, construction, market, macroeconomic, contract and regulatory risks. Given that decisions about investments in power generating capacity depended on expected returns and costs, the illiquid state of the industry in addition to the fact that plants were performing below optimum, does not encourage capacity utilisation.

    “In addition, there was little or no emphasis on data, as nothing depended on it. Investments for the growth of the generation sub-sector did not depend on the returns from the distribution sub-sector.”

    She identified load rejection as the new problem in the industry, instead of more power generation.

    She proffered solution to the problem. “Enable efficient regulation, monitor and evaluation, guide the development of efficiency and profitability requirements, enable true customer-demographics and bankable a necessary factor in tariff disaggregation, which is questionable.

    ‘’Enable the distribution companies (DisCos) and its partners meter asset providers (MAP) to meter all the customers given their inability to account for their customers and lack of financial resources, enable the DisCos conduct a technical analysis/audit of all infrastructure to determine a bankable technical loss factor, a key input for the determination of ATC&C loss (aggregate technical, commercial, and collection loss).

    “Provide a source to verify, validate the lack of transparency and reliability issues with DisCos independent data validation. Investments to improve data quality and adequacy in all subsectors of the industry, with the priority being the distribution subsector for obvious reasons will solve a number of issues inhibiting the growth of the sector, especially the inability of the DisCos to make capital investments.”

    Ogaji, therefore, advised stakeholders to maximise capacity utilisation  to achieve low power generation costs and  address the excess capacities.

    According to her, capacity utilisation is used to measure efficiency. Average production costs tend to fall as output rises–so higher utilisation can reduce unit costs, bringing about a more competitive market which makes plants financially viable, she added.

    ‘’Utilising what is existing to get the most out of what is available, which means consuming what is available and recovering unavailable capacities, about 13,000megawatts (Mw) calls for critical evaluation of some market determinants,’’ she said.

    On why the country is in crisis, she traced the problem to privatisation. Prior to privatisation, she said, investments for generation growth did not depend on the returns from the distribution sub-sector.

  • Nigeria’s investment prospects in oil, gas high

    James Shindi is the Chief Executive of Brevity Anderson, organisers of the annual Nigeria Petroleum International Summit (NIPS). In this interview with reporters, he talks about the investment prospects Nigeria has in the oil and gas industry and NIPS 2019, among others, EMEKA UGWUANYI was there.

    How attractive is Nigeria for oil and gas investment?

    If you take into account Nigeria’s condensates production, the daily average production is over 2 million barrels. There is a very realistic capacity to upscale the country’s proven reserves to 40 billion barrels within the next few years, so this market will continue to remain attractive for a long time.

    Even if there are no new oil finds, you are looking at another 45 years or so of supply at current rates. However, when you start to look at the huge gas reserves of well over 5 trillion cubic metres, which ranks Nigeria as possessing Africa’s largest gas reserves, the picture looks even better. This surely has to be the investment destination of choice and will continue to be.

    What is the Federal Government’s objective for organising the annual international petroleum summit?

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) took the decision to approve the event in its current format with a private sector operator to create an international platform for high-level discussions around the hydrocarbons sector, which helps lead Africa’s response to the current and future challenges in the sector. It is one of the ways Nigeria continues to provide leadership in the sector on the continent.

    The event, being the property of the Federal Government, also means that all key government decision makers attend to network, provide answers to burning questions and also, listen to feedback from stakeholders. And with a focus on technology and innovation, the aim is to grow the event into a must attend meeting for unveiling of major technological breakthroughs. We are already starting to see this happen and we at Brevity Anderson feel absolutely delighted to be on this journey with the Federal Government.

    What is the main thrust of this NIPS2019?

    Issues around oil market stability continue to be on every stakeholder’s front burner. When you speak to both producers and consumers, you soon get the sense that price volatility hurts both sides. This sort of market instability means that investment decisions are either delayed or in some instances scrapped. Since 2014, we have been seeing more and more producers turning exclusively to short-cycle projects, the long-term effect of this will definitely have an impact beyond just oil markets.

    Within the context of Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO), Nigeria continues to play a leading role in driving talks to help stabilise the market. I would like to stress here and at the same time, commend the Federal Government for deliberately taking concrete steps as part of a bigger strategy of bringing down production costs while initiating the right policies to attract additional investment.

    For example, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, announced a roadmap to attract an additional $10 billion worth of new investment into the sector in Nigeria alone. We are seeing a real shift from just talk to tangible action.

    Against this background and the technological advancement (or lack of it in some regard), geo-political activities and other very existing topics, the event creates the perfect platform to engage stakeholders as the event will take place at different levels; Government-to-Government, Business-to-Business and Government-to-Business. Nigeria International Petroleum Summit (NIPS) 2019 will certainly be the place to be between January 27 and 30, 2019.

    ‘’We are glad to report to you that we have received significant amount of interest from both local and international players including national delegations from seven countries, headed by top political and economic leaders.

    For example, Khalid al-Faliih, the Saudi Energy Minister, during his recent visit to Nigeria, specifically mentioned that Africa and in particular, Nigeria, remains a key partner in forging partnerships and he is looking forward to returning to our great country in 2019 both to the NIPS event and to further deepen the special relationship between both countries.

    Amongst other international delegates, the Norwegian State Secretary (Deputy Minister) for International Development Jens Frølich Holte also confirmed his participation at the NIPS 2019.

     

    What are the highlights of NIPS 2019?

    NIPS 2019 comes up between January 27th and 30th, 2019. There will be a Ministerial Session, an Executive Round Table, a session on OPEC, Energy Revolution, Offshore & Marine Session, amongst other interesting sessions. There will also be some pleasant surprises. I will not be letting the cat out of the bag yet. However, we are excited to announce that at NIPS 2019, we will be incorporating the Honorary Patron’s Dinner/Awards, where Patrons and Corporates will be honoured during a spectacular evening of business, culture and fanfare. The evening is sponsored by Total.

    We are planning for about 100 top-level speakers from both Nigeria and abroad. To date, we have confirmed attendance from over 45 countries with more being expected. We are planning to welcome 3,000 participants, including visitors. Certainly, NIPS 2019 will be the place to be to make those deals happen. For instance, for capacity issues, we have now decided to move the official opening ceremony of Monday 28th January 2019 to the Nicon Luxury Hotel while the main conference and exhibition will still hold at the International Conference Centre, just next door once the opening ceremony is concluded.

    How will this year’s edition be beneficial to participants and exhibitors?

    The event will be attended by top decision makers from both the public and private sectors and staged on a government-to-government, business-to-business and government-to-business levels, thus, there will be something for everybody. The reports from this event go directly to the highest levels of decision-making. This is certainly not just another talk shop.

     

    What kind of support are you currently receiving from stakeholders including OPEC?

    The support has been tremendous. The OPEC Secretary General, Dr. Mohammed Barkindo, led an official delegation to the maiden edition in 2018 and they will again be attending with an official delegation, along with other key stakeholders in 2019. From an organisational point of view, the NNPC under the leadership of Dr. Maikanti Baru and as the national host has been unwaveringly robust in its drive to make a success of NIPS 2019. Our media partners are working round the clock to promote the event in new and creative ways. The Presidency, PEF, PPPRA, DPR, PTDF, PTI, NCDMB have all been tremendous in their support.

    We have the outstanding Minister of State Dr. Ibe Kachikwu and his excellent team of lieutenants who continue to make themselves available literally round the clock. We have enjoyed the best possible working relationship any PPP partner could wish for. The civil service structure at Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources driven by the amiable Permanent Secretary, Dr. Folashade Yemi-Esan has been immense. To put this into context, some of our planning meetings have held on weekends and we have had the Minister of State and the Permanent Secretary sit through hours of details each time. The heads of the various agencies under the Ministry of Petroleum have also been exemplary to say the least. The support of the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Simbi Wabote, has been colossal. You get the sense that NIPS is indeed a national treasure that is here to stay.

     

  • NNPC inaugurates 25m-litre tank at Ejigbo Depot

    Fuel depots are now loading effortlessly following the repair of 25million litre tanks at the Ejigbo Satellite depot of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

    Prior to this period, marketers were experiencing hitches loading their trucks as those tanks were not in good shape and unable to meet demands from the depot.

    However, the story changed two months ago when NNPC concluded the repair of the tanks, as part of efforts to fix the 20 depots of the Corporation in the country.

    Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) Chairman, Ejigbo Depot, Mr. Alanamu Balogun, said repair of the 25 million litre tank was a good omen for the depot as marketers resume loading seamlessly there.

    According to him, the depot is getting supplies from Atlas Cove regularly now following repair of the tank.

    Balogun said: “During the period the tank was faulty, the depot was loading 60 trucks to 70 trucks daily, as there was not enough storage facilities to accommodate fuel in the depot. Now, the depot can comfortably load 100 trucks in a day. Currently, more than 100 trucks are being loaded daily.

    “The repair of the 25milllion litre tank is aiding supply of fuel to areas such as Suleja, Ore, Ilorin and other parts of the country. Now, scarcity of fuel is no longer prevalent in the South-Western states as the depot has taken care of that area.”

    On the issue of kerosene, he said the depot lacked capacity to supply the depot as it does not have functioning kerosene tank on ground now.

    “The petrol and diesel tanks are working well now. There are no cases of leakages from the tanks as NNPC has taken up the responsibility of repairing the tanks,” he added.

    He urged the Federal Government not to relent in its efforts to improve infrastructure in the oil and gas industry, adding that efforts to strengthen  the downstream sub-sector of the oil industry would help in ensuring adequate supply of fuel in the country.

  • NGO warns against attacks on BEDC

    A group with 46 allied Civil Society Organisations (CSOs),  Transparency Advocacy for Development Initiative (TADI), has warned against incessant attacks on Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) by electricity consumers in Edo State.This  concerns especially those hiding under the cover of civil rights advocacy to foist unlawful conducts, and the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, saying such persons should desist from such acts forthwith or face legal actions.

    Transparency Advocacy for Development Initiative (TADI) gave the warning at a world press conference in Abuja, which was addressed by its National Convener, Comrade Solomon Adodo, at Abia House.

    He said: “We call on the Governor of Edo State to forthwith refrain from antagonising BEDC Plc and instead follow relevant rules and guidelines governed by clearly cut contract terms. The issue of power distribution in Edo State should not be unnecessarily politicised.

    “It should be made clear that all distribution companies (DisCos) are firmly protected by the contract terms and conditions under, which they were issued licences and it is on record that BEDC has not in any way breached such conditions.

    “We shall resist this evil at all costs in the best interest of sustainable business practice in order not to ward of future investors and/or frustrate the gains made thus far in the power sector.”

    On this note, we call on the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE), the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Company (NBET) and every concerned regulator to immediately come out and clear the air on the needless controversies being stirred to cripple the BEDC under its current management. “If we do not get appropriate feedback within seven days of this notice, we shall be left with no other option but to embark on peaceful procession to these offices for the sake of sanity in our power sector,” the group said.

    TADI said as stakeholders, the Federal Government has representation on the board of respective DisCos and it is totally at its discretion to appoint whoever she deems fit to represent her interest in the DisCos. “It is not the DisCos that determine who the Federal Government appoints as her representative contrary to what some naysayers would have us believe in the case of BEDC’’.