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Electricity Consumers Rue Crazy Bills

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Electricity consumers in
Lagos have condemned the recent outrageous bills received from electricity companies in spite of poor power supply in November.
Some consumers stated this in Lagos during an interview with newsmen.
They rued arbitrary and excessive billing of consumers when electricity supply was not regular.
Mrs Chinansa Oke, a resident of FESTAC Town, said the attitude of electricity companies amounted to cheating consumers.
Oke said that there was need for urgent measures to address the abnormalities in the billing system and save innocent electricity consumers.
“Last October, we had no electricity supply and I was billed N3,500 for the month. In November, supply was erratic throughout the month and they brought N8,500.
“I don’t know the criteria they are using to bill us.
“I spent N12,000 to buy petroleum and they still want me to pay for the power that was not regular,” she said.
Mr Bode Akinfenwa, a resident of Ilasamaja, said that he had applied for pre-payment meter in January but till now it had not been installed.
“After applying for pre-paid meter for almost 10 months, the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company kept giving us estimated bill.
“This is an injustice to the masses. Government should rescue us from the hand of these investors.
“The most frustrating part of it is that even if there is no electricity for most of a month, we are still made to pay the same bill we paid previously.
“Many electricity consumers appear to be at the mercy of these electricity companies because they are the only supplier of electricity,” he said.
Mrs Damilola Joseph, a frozen fish seller at Ijora Market, said that power outage had forced majority of frozen fish sellers out of business because it was difficult to operate without supply.
Joseph appealed to the electricity companies to find lasting solution to power failure so that Nigerians could restore confidence in them.
Meanwhile, Mr Pekun Adeyanju, Assistant General Manager, Public Affairs Division of IKEDC, told reporters that the management would begin installation of 500,000 smart meters in January 2015 to its numerous consumers.
Adeyanju said that this would eliminate the bondage of estimate billings being given to its consumers.

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Mile 2-Jetty Toxic Leakage: SEREC Worries Over Environmental Pollution 

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The Sea Empowerment and Research Center (SEREC) has raised alarm over the environmental pollution at Mile 2 Jetty following a sunken barge which cargo is leaking.
SEREC noted that the sunken barge has led to chemical pollution at the Mile 2 Jetty adding that the continued rainfall has worsened toxic leakage into the waterways, threatening marine life and public health.
In a Press Statement, the Head of Research, SEREC, Dr. Eugene Nweke, said the incident calls for immediate institutional reform of Nigeria’s barge operations.
According to him, independent findings showed that industrial chemicals stacked at a “shipping terminal and nearby bridge locations have been seeping into surrounding waters, with minimal visible regulatory response”.
He said the development was a wake-up call to strengthen the governance and administrative architecture of Nigeria’s barge operations adding that they are currently weakly coordinated across multiple agencies.
This, he said, has left gaps in safety enforcement, vessel standards, environmental control as well as emergency response.
In direct response to this and similar recurring incidents, SEREC strongly advocates the creation of a Directorate of Barge Operations and Logistics Services (DBOLS) within the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy to be headed by a Director and operationally driven by a Deputy Director of Barge Operations and Logistics Services.
This specialized Directorate would, “Enforce mandatory registration, inspection and certification of all commercial barges and tugs operating along Nigerian inland and coastal routes.
“Institute safety, loading, and environmental standards for barge construction, cargo handling and waste management.
“Develop digital traffic monitoring systems (AIS/GPS) for barge movements to prevent congestion and accidents”, Nweke said
By: Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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“FCCPC Approves Sale Of Chivita|Hollandia To UAC Nigeria PLC 

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UAC of Nigeria PLC (UAC) has announced the completion of it’s in a press release on October 3, 2025, that it has completed the acquisition of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited), following approval from the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
Revealing this in a Press Release, at the Weekend, UAC said the transaction, first disclosed on July 30, 2025, involved the transfer of ownership of CHI Limited, a leading Nigerian food and beverage company best known for its market-dominant Chivita juice and Hollandia dairy brands, to UAC.
Commenting on the development, the Managing Director, CHI Limited, Eelco Weber, expressed optimism in the company’s future under UAC’s ownership.
“We are pleased to have received regulatory approval for this transaction. We look forward to a smooth transition and to seeing Chivita|Hollandia thrive under UAC’s ownership,” he said.
Group Managing Director of UAC, Fola Aiyesimoju, highlighted the strategic importance of the acquisition saying “We are excited to officially welcome the Chivita|Hollandia team and brands into the UAC family, and we are eager to work together to build on their strong legacy and market leadership”.
The acquisition is expected to strengthen UAC’s position in Nigeria’s fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector, expanding its footprint into the growing juice and dairy markets.
UAC further said that the acquisition aligned with its growth agenda by adding two market-leading brands and a well-established distribution network to its por.
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PenCom Reintroduces Gratuity For Federal Civil Servants

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The National Pension Commission has said it has deployed a framework to restore gratuity for Federal Civil Service under the Contributory Pension Scheme.
Director-General of PenCom, Omolola Oloworaran, disclosed this at a Stakeholders’ Conference on the Workings of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) for Employees and Pensioners of Federal Government Treasury-Funded Ministries, Departments and Agencies, in Abuja, last Thursday.
Represented by the Acting Commissioner, Technical, PenCom, Hon. Hafiz Kawu Ibrahim, Oloworaran said, “Working with the office of the Head of the Civil Service, a framework has been developed to restore gratuity benefits for federal workers under CPS, in line with Section 4(4) of the PRA 2014.”
The PenCom DG added that “PenCom has enhanced pensions for over 241,000 retirees, representing 80% of those under Programmed Withdrawal. Monthly pensions rose from N12.157 billion to N14.837 billion, effective June 2025.
“Also, since July 2025, no retiree waits to access their pensions. Payments are now immediate, aligned with monthly salary releases from the Federal Ministry of Finance”.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, Ekpo Nta, stated that the Commission would partner PenCom to examine the current rate of retirement benefits and recommend appropriate mechanisms for periodic reviews of retirement benefits.
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