News
End Of PHCN As New Firms Take Over …Labour Threatens Showdown
Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State (middle) with former Minister of Education, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, and Director, Port Harcourt Book Festival, Mrs Koko Kalango, at the Port Harcourt Book Festival in Port Harcourt recently.
Following the Federal Government’s November 1, 2013 deadline for the final unbundling of Power Holding Company of Nigeria and handover of electricity generation and distribution in the country, new investor – companies will take over the affairs of the PHCN with effect from today.
Already, officials of the Ministry of Power, the taskforce on power reform and other stakeholders are expected at the handover ceremony to be performed on behalf of President Goodluck Jonathan by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Godknows Igali.
The Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company will be handed over to a power consortium, which entered into partnership with nine investors that came together under a consortium agreement to bid for acquisition of 60% shares of the company.
A release issued in Port Harcourt and signed by the Administrative Secretary of 4 Power Consortium Limited, Mrs. Precious Nkem Wokocha, stated that the ceremony would hold at the head office complex of the PHEDC in Port Harcourt, today.
According to the statement, “ PHED is one of the eleven distribution companies (DISCOs) that were originally ‘unbundled’ from the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN)”. “The new company’s functions will continue to be distribution and marketing of electricity in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River and Rivers States in Nigeria’s South- South region”.
“As a private company, we shall breathe new life into PHEDC’s programme of investment and innovation, and this will enable us to become the most efficient and sustainable utility company in Nigeria. That means our customers can expect an increasing reliable power supply and also a far better service,” it added..
Managing Director of Income Electric Limited, one of the partners in the consortium, Mr Matthew Edevbie reiterated the company’s commitment to stimulating economic growth and improving electricity and service delivery in the region. He stated that, the new PHED “will foster a high performing culture that motivates employees to create value and make a difference in the lives of customers and in the communities they live and work.”
He disclosed that the new company’s core functions would continue to be distribution and marketing of electricity in Rivers,Akwa Ibom,Bayelsa and Cross River States in Nigeria’s South-South region.
Also, the Chairman of the new core investors in the project, Sir Augustine Nwokacha said, “as a private company, it will breathe new life into PHED’s programme of investment and innovation, and this will enable us to become the most efficient and sustainable utility company in Nigeria,adding that customers can expect an increasingly reliable power supply and far better services” .
Thousands of disengaged workers of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, have threatened a showdown with the Federal Government, following its plans to physically hand over the defunct company to new investors today. The reason for the showdown, according to some of the PHCN workers who spoke with our correspondents, is the delay in payment of severance benefits of about 35% of the workforce.
In some of the PHCN offices visited by our correspondent across the state yesterday, activities were paralysed while the workers were seen discussing their fate.
Policemen were deployed to some of the PHCN offices to forestall break down of law and order. Policemen were seen at Badia and Marina area offices of the PHCN.
Confirming the likelihood of showdown, PHCN Senior Manager, Public Affairs Ijora district, Ayiwe Peter said that they were not against the hand over, but that they wanted want the government to pay the workers before it handed over. Peter said should the government go ahead to hand over without paying the workers, the union will pull their members out and there would be total black out.
He advised Nigerians to prepare for alternative source of electricity so that they would not be caught up in darkness. Contrary to Bureau of Public Enterprise’s statement that at least 84 per cent of the workers had been paid off, while others would be paid between Wednesday and Thursday, the workers said banks had refused to honour the government’s directive to pay them.
They threatened that if their entitlements were not paid by the end of October, the entire workforce of PHCN in all the 36 states would embark on indefinite strike. They therefore appealed to government to ensure that all the agreements it signed with the workers were met to avert the strike.
“If not, how will they ask us to go and they will not pay us? This is sheer man’s inhumanity to man,” he said. The successor companies expected to be handed over to the new investors include Abuja Distribution Company (owned by KANN Consortium Utility), Benin Distribution Company (Vigeo Power Consortium), Eko Distribution Company (West Power & Gas), Enugu Distribution Company (Interstate Electrics Ltd) and Ibadan Distribution Company (Integrated Energy Distribution & Marketing Limited).
Others are: Ikeja Distribution Company (NEDC/KEPCO Consortium), Jos Distribution Company (Aura Energy Limited), Kano Distribution Company (Sahelian Power SPV Limited), Port Harcourt Distribution Company (4Power Consortium) and Yola Distribution Company (Integrated Energy Distribution & Marketing Limited).
The power generation companies expected to be handed over are Shiroro (owned by North-South Power Company), Kainji (Mainstream Energy Solutions Ltd), Geregu (Amperion Power Distribution) and Ughelli (Transcorp Ughelli Power Plc). Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Godknows Igali, said last Wednesday that the Federal Government had disbursed N294.51 billion to the disengaged PHCN workers.
Igali made the disclosure to State House correspondents after a special preparatory meeting to strategise on the November 1 physical handover of PHCN successor companies to private investors.
The meeting was chaired by Vice President Namadi Sambo at the Presidential Villa.
Specifically, Igali said that N214.22 billion was paid as severance benefits directly to the beneficiaries’ personal accounts, while N80.29 billion was paid as gratuity to beneficiaries’ pension fund administrators. He said that out of the 47,913 PHCN members of staff who went through the severance process, 40.093 had been fully paid, leaving out 7,820.
From the 7,820 staff, Igali said that 605 were validated last Tuesday and would be paid before the end of the week. Igali said that the remaining beneficiaries yet to be validated for payment had one issue or the other in their data capturing and electronic payment processes. “Some members in Enugu Distribution Company, about 1,478 have their biometric capture corrupted by virus and a new consultant has been moved to Enugu to recapture them.
“Those workers would not be accommodated.
“Additional 929 other workers from all over the country also had their biometric data corrupted. “This is a usual thing that happens when you are dealing with such large numbers and we are bringing them to Abuja at the expense of government for their biometric data to be recaptured so that they can be paid their entitlement immediately.
“There were also duplications of various natures, names were duplicated and accounts were duplicated. “For example, there are cases where people have three names and while filling, they put only two names,” he said. Igali said there were cases of about 2,500 staff that were very bad, but still being handled by the committee.
The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, Mr Benjamin Dikki, said that with the full take-over of the power plants by the private sector, electricity situation would gradually improve.
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have foiled attempts by drug trafficking syndicates to smuggle illicit substances concealed in carton walls, winter jackets, and body cream containers through Murtala Muhammed International Airport and a Lagos-based courier firm.
The agency said two consignments bound for Italy were intercepted at the Lagos airport, leading to the arrest of suspects linked to the shipments.
In a statement released yesterday, the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said one of the suspects, 37-year-old Friday Ehianuka, was intercepted on Friday, March 20, 2026, while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Rome, Italy.
The statement partly read, “Two of the consignments heading to Italy were to be moved through the Lagos airport where two suspects linked to the shipments were promptly arrested.
“One of them, 37-year-old Friday Ehianuka, was going to Rome, Italy on Friday, March 20, 2026, when he was intercepted while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight with 2,698 pills of tramadol 225mg concealed in containers of skin-lightening body cream, all packed in the suspect’s luggage.
“In his statement, Ehianuka, who is a resident of Milan, confirmed that he was to be paid a negotiated fee in Euros if he had succeeded in trafficking the consignment to Italy.”
In another operation on Wednesday, March 18, Babafemi said NDLEA officers at the departure hall intercepted another passenger, Christian Agbonhese, attempting to board a Lufthansa flight to Milan.
A search of his luggage uncovered 23,150 pills of tramadol 225mg, 4,000 tablets of tapentadol 250mg, and 1,320 pills of tramadol 100mg concealed in two large winter jackets.
“No fewer than 23,150 pills of tramadol 225mg; 4,000 tablets of tapentadol 250mg; and 1,320 pills of tramadol 100mg, all concealed in two large winter jackets, bringing the total number of opioids recovered from him to 28,470 pills. The 38-year-old Agbonhese is also a resident of Milan,” the statement added.
In a separate operation at a courier firm in Lagos, Babafemi said NDLEA officers on Monday, March 16, intercepted two parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 1kg, hidden in a carton shipped from the United States.
“Also thwarted was an attempt to export 158 grams of methamphetamine concealed in the walls of a carton to New Zealand,” he said.
In Kano State, operatives arrested Abdulkadir Mamuda, 35, with 102.5kg of skunk at Dan-Tsalle, while another suspect, Uche Johnson Festus, 47, was nabbed at Naibawa Gabas with 95.5kg of the same substance.
Babafemi said the agency also recovered 21,737 bottles of codeine-based syrup during a raid at Otto, Ijora area of Lagos on Wednesday, March 18, adding that two suspects, Chidiebere Anigbogu and Paul Nwagbara, were arrested the same day on the Third Mainland Bridge while conveying 8,380 bottles of the syrup.
In Edo State, operatives recovered 97.5kg of skunk from the residence of Akeem Idde, 37, in Ojah, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area on March 16.
In the FCT, officers intercepted a commercial bus along the Gwagwalada Expressway on March 18, recovering 91,840 pills of tramadol hidden in body compartments of the vehicle. The driver, Aminu Ali, 27, was arrested.
In Oyo State, a suspect, Bankole Bari, was on Tuesday, March 17, arrested at Oke-Oyan, Ibarapa LGA, with 71.2kg of skunk, which he smuggled into Nigeria from Benin Republic through the Oyan River.
In a similar development, “Not less than 586,000 pills of tramadol and Exol-5 were recovered by NDLEA operatives from Lawal Anas, 28, along Kaduna-Zaria Highway, Kaduna, on Tuesday, March 17, while 7,290 tablets of tramadol 225mg were seized from Musa Shuaibu, 22, at the same location on Friday, March 20,” Babafemi said.
In Taraba State, officers intercepted Aliyu Adamu, 26, along the Takum-Jalingo Highway with 77,660 capsules of tramadol, while in Adamawa State, six suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure of 82.8kg of tramadol in a truck in Yola.
The suspects include Ramatu Aliyu, Jungudo Abdullahi, Najid Abdullahi, Musa Mohammed, Usman Abdulrahim, and Musa Mohammed.
The agency said its commands across the country also intensified War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, and communities during the week.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers of the MMIA, DOGI, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Oyo, FCT, Taraba, and Adamawa commands for the arrests and seizures, urging them to sustain the balanced approach to drug control efforts.
News
RSG Applauds FRSC, NDLEA For Enhancing Security In Rivers …As NDLEA Pushes For Drug Tests In Schools, NYSC Camps
The Rivers State Government has commended the dedication and collaboration of federal government agencies in sustaining security in the State.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by the State Commander of the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), CN Bature Dawa, in Port Harcourt, last week, the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Dagogo Wokoma, said Governor Siminalayi Fubara appreciates the strong synergy between the agencies in promoting his administration’s vision of peace, prosperity and progress in the State.
Wokoma urged residents to remain law-abiding, noting that respect for the law is essential for good governance and sustainable development in all parts of the state.
He stated that the governor has remained committed to initiatives that promote peace and social order, stressing that the administration will continue to support programmes of federal agencies aimed at strengthening security and public safety.
“Our governor is committed to peace, progress and prosperity in Rivers State. I therefore encourage all residents, especially young people who are often targeted by those involved in drug abuse, to stay away from drugs, crime and reckless driving,” he said.
In his remarks, the State NDLEA boss, Dawa, disclosed that the agency has arrested 39 suspects in the state from December 2025 to date, including 16 new cases currently under investigation.
He explained that the NDLEA, through its Drug Demand Reduction and Drug Supply Control Units, has intensified efforts to curb the spread of illicit drugs and ensure offenders are brought to justice.
Dawa also called on parents and guardians to closely monitor their children, while urging hotel owners and managers to remain vigilant and prevent their facilities from being used for drug-related activities.
He further advocated the introduction of drug integrity tests in schools and within the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme as part of measures to discourage drug abuse among young people.
In a related development, Dr Wokoma received the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), CC Inyang Umoh, during a courtesy visit, and urged residents to abide by road safety laws and drive in consideration of other road users.
In his remarks, the FRSC boss expressed appreciation to Governor Fubara for the continuous support to the Corps.
Muslims in Rivers State have commended Governor Siminialayi Fubara for his dedication and commitment to the development of the state.
They also lauded the governor for promoting peaceful co-existence among various religious groups in the state.
Vice President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs ,Alhaji Nasil Awhelegbe Uhor, gave the commendation last Friday during the Eid-el Fitri prayer to mark the end of Ramadan fasting period, at the Port Harcourt Central Mosque, Niger Street, Port Harcourt.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the prayer, Alhaji Uhor said Governor Fubara has shown exemplary leadership in the affairs of the state.
Uhor who is the leader of the South South Muslim Ummah of Nigeria, called on Muslims to remain committed to the ideal of peace and fear of the Almighty Allah.
According to the Rivers State Islamic leader, the message is for Muslims to imbibe and allow the lessons of Ramadan to sink into their lives and shape their ways of doing things.
He urged Muslims to imbibe the culture of love and respect for one another.
“My message is that all Muslims should imbibe and allow the lessons of Ramadan to sink with them,” he advised.
Uhor stressed the need for Muslims and all Nigerians to remain patriotic, while avoiding all forms of anti-social behaviours.
He also called on the political leaders to put the country first, stressing that there is no need for Nigerians to continue to wallow in abject poverty when the country is so rich with natural resources.
Also speaking, the Chief Imam of Rivers State, Alhaji Ibrahim S Yalo, urged Muslims to fear God, and speak the truth always.
According to him, time has come for Nigerians to cultivate the habit of peaceful coexistence, speak the truth and be each others keeper.
“Nigerians own a duty to ensure peace, live together in fear of God and speak the truth always,” he said.
By: John Bibor