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Illegal call for street protest by labour over tariff threatens power sector development – Experts … As lawyers describe move by NLC, TUC as illegal, anti-development

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Industry experts at the weekend expressed concern that the call by organized labour to shut down the

Power Distribution and Generation companies over the Multi Year Tariff Order that came into effect in

February would impact negatively on the Power Sector and the nation’s economy.

According to the experts , the planned disruption of the operations may have more severe

consequences than the new Tariff which is aimed at ensuring cost recovery in the power sector value

chain, removal of the fixed charge , encouraging power conservation by focusing on metering before

billing and insisting that consumers are billed for only what they consumed.

Some of the experts argued that any disruptions at this time would negatively affect the steady progress

being made in the sector in spite of challenges posed by gas pipeline vandalism and other acts of

sabotage recently being recorded in the petroleum and power sector.

It would be recalled that on February 2, the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry sent out a peak of

5,074MW at 2130hrs – a record setting figure that displays significant improvement in the capacity of

the transmission system. This is the highest figure ever recorded by the industry in recent times.

The total energy sent out on February 2, 2016 was also a record setting figure of 109,372.01MWH (an

average of 4447.88MWh/h).

According to industry statistics, the past three months has seen a series of record setting figures and

incremental growth in spite of very challenging operational environment, with the previous peak figure

achieved being 4,883MW on 21:15h on November 24 2015, and the previous maximum total energy

sent out achieved on January 27, 2016 being 107,142.32MWH.

The experts noted that though a lot of work remains to be done, such record breaking figures are only

achievable due to the coordinated efforts of all stakeholders in the country, from gas suppliers,

generating plants, the Transmission Company of Nigeria, distribution companies and all citizens who

have been patient with the industry as work towards improving the sector has been intensified under

the leadership of the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, SAN.

The progress and the fresh investment drive into the sector being aimed at with the tariff order may be

jeopardized by any poorly considered call for street protests or shut down of operations rather than

dialogue , an Energy expert noted.

Legal practitioners who also spoke with our correspondents expressed the view that the subject of

change in tariff was not a matter for labour agitation. According to them, the statutory objective of a

trade union recognised under the Trade Unions Act is to regulate the terms and conditions of

employment of workers. Price determination is a product of market forces. Electricity is like any other

product and its price reflects its cost of production.

Following the privatisation of the electricity sector, the distribution and generation aspects of the

industry are now in the hands of private investors. Consequently, price is now determined by market

forces in accordance with the provisions of applicable laws.

The law that regulates changes in tariff is the Electric Power Sector Reforms Act and it empowers the

Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission to allow a licencee to recover the “costs of its business

activities, including a reasonable return on the capital invested in the business” and “provide incentives

for the continued improvement of quality of services” in the country.

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Oando Clean Energy, Cross River State, Sign MoU on Renewable Energy Infrastructure

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Oando Clean Energy (OCEL),  the renewable energy business subsidiary of Oando Energy Resources and the Cross River State Government have  signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the rollout of electric vehicles for mass transportation within the state at the ongoing 28th edition Conference of the Parties (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The move in setting up an electric vehicle (EV) assembly plant, is expected to create jobs for local indigenes as well as build a 100MW wind plant for power generation.

Representing the Governor of Cross River State, Bassey Otu at the MoU signing was the state’s Commissioner for Special Duties, Oden Ewa, saying the landmark agreement marked a significant step forward in the state’s journey toward a cleaner and more sustainable future. He said: “The MoU paves the way for the transitioning of our mass transit system to cleaner and less expensive fuels while also allowing for the use of our natural resource, wind, to provide electrification for our people.

“I commend Oando Clean Energy for their innovative solutions that address the impact of climate change in Nigeria and her citizens.”

According to Oando , it said,  as  a company, it has committed to ensuring that this journey to a cleaner and more sustainable energy future is as seamless and as easy as possible.

“This is by putting our confidence in, not only the technology but the partnership and ensuring that the Cross River State government and her people reap the benefits of generating power from sustainable sources”. The statement read.

Oando’s Clean Energy’s scope spans the entire 35 states of the federation and the federal capital, promising to create a cleaner, more viable energy ecosystem for Nigeria and the  people of Cross River.

In attendance at the side event were amongst others, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Abubakar Momoh;  Minister of the Environment, Abbas Balarabe;  Minister of State for Environment, Dr. Kunle Salako; Commissioner for Special Duties, Cross River State, Mr. Oden Ewa, among others.

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House Of Representatives Issues Warrant Of Arrest On Central Bank Governor, Cardoso, Accountant-General, 17 Others

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The House of Representatives’ Committee on Public Petitions has asked for a warrant of arrest to be issued on the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Oluwatoyin Madein, and 17 others over refusal to appear before it to answer questions on their operations.

It was gathered that the issuance of the arrest warrant was sequel to the adoption of a motion moved by Fred Agbedi, representing Ekeremo/Sagbama Federal Constituency of Bayelsa State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the committee’s hearing on Tuesday.

Agbedi, while moving the motion, said that the arrest warrant had become imperative following the attitude of the invitees, adding that the parliament worked with time and the CEOs had been invited four times but failed to respond to the invitations.

Agbedi said that the CBN Governor, the AGF and the rest of the invitees should be brought to appear before the committee by the Inspector General of Police through a warrant of arrest after due diligence by the House Speaker, Rep Tajudeen Abbas.

The Chairman of the Committee, Micheal Irom (APC-Cross River), in his ruling said that the Inspector-General of Police should ensure the invitees were brought before the committee on December 14.
It was gathered that the petitioner, Fidelis Uzowanem, had earlier said that the petition was anchored on the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) 2021 report.

Irom said, “We took up the challenge to examine the report and discovered that what NEITI put together as a report is only consolidation of fraud that has been going on in the oil and gas industry.

“It dates back to 2016 because we have been following and we put up a petition to this committee to examine what has happened.

“The 2024 budget of 27.5 trillion that has been proposed can be confidently funded from the recoverable amount that we identified in the NEITI report.

“It is basically a concealment of illegal transactions that took place in NNPCL; they have been in a sink with some oil companies where some companies that did not produce crude were paid cash core, an amount paid for crude oil production.”

 

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FCTA uncovers illegal oil refining warehouse in Abuja

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In continuation of the city cleaning exercise, Authorities of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) with operatives of security personnel have uncovered an illegal oil refining warehouse in Mabushi, opposite Mobile filling station on Ahmadu Bello way in Abuja.

 

The Director, Department of Development Control, FCTA, Mukhtar Galadima after the operation on Thursday, said the illegal refining site was discovered during the continuation of the city cleaning exercise.

 

According to him, about three to four plot of lands designated for commercial purposes have been converted to an area where oil and diesel are being adulterated and circulated to other parts of the city.

 

Galadima explained that the city sanitation task force will look into the provision of the law and make necessary recommendations to the FCT Administration for further actions on the plots used for the activity.

 

He said there was no arrest but the items used in carrying out the illegal refining have been impounded.

 

Galadima said, “During the continuation of our city sanitation exercise in Mabushi opposite Mobile filling station on Ahmadu way, we discovered an illegal refining site where oil and diesel are being adulterated, we have done the needful by moving the items to Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.

 

“From what we have seen so far, about three or four pilot of lands designated for commercial purposes have been converted to unapproved activities, which we believe the owners are fully aware, there will be consequences.

 

“We are going to look at the provision of the law and make necessary recommendations to the FCT Administration”

 

He said the administration will continue to go tough on activities being carried out without government approval,  especially revocation of the titles.

 

Collaborating, Head, operations FCT Directorate of Road Traffic Service (DRTS), Deborah Osho said the city management team during the exercise also discovered that most of the areas in the Nation’s capital have been converted to illegal car mart and motor parks.

 

She disclosed that fifteen vehicles have so far been impounded since the operation commenced about two days.

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