Oil & Energy

Aspirant Decries Power Equipment Vandalism In Imo

Published

7 years ago

September 10, 2018

A House of Representatives aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State, Mr. Kingsley Uju yesterday decried the increasing rate of vandalism of power equipment in most communities in the state.
Uju, who is currently the Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo, is the sole House of Representatives aspirant of the APC for the Ohaji Egbema, Oguta and Oru West Federal Constituency.
The aspirant’s reaction is coming on the heels of agitations and appeals by some communities in the constituency that have been in darkness for over a year due to the vandalism of their transformers and power line cables.
The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) had in May, inaugurated a Special Investigation and Prosecution Force on Electricity Offences, to checkmate individuals and organisations engaging in energy theft and vandalism of electricity infrastructure.
The EEDC which covers the five South-East states of Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi and Imo, says vandalism and theft remains its major challenge in effective power distribution in the region.
The House of Representatives had on February 22, mandated its Committees on Power, Police Affairs, Interior, National Security and Intelligence and Justice to examine the non-prosecution of electricity equipment vandals in the country.
The mandate followed a motion by Rep. Francis Uduyok on “the Call to Investigate the lack of prosecution of vandals of electricity cables and equipment in Nigeria.”
The aspirant said at an interactive session in Lagos that the state and even individuals had spent so much over the years trying to replace stolen and vandalised equipment in communities across the state.
“I have personally made donations of transformers to most of the communities in my constituency more than once. This is in addition to replacing stolen cables across the communities.
“The state has also expended funds meant for other infrastructure just to ensure that communities are not left in darkness.
“But we cannot continue to fold our hands and watch a few individuals continue to throw entire communities in darkness.
“I have procured new transformers for most of the communities and they are currently being installed,” he said.
According to him, the cost of replacing vandalised materials is unbearable as it runs into several millions of Naira.
Uju said that the socio-economic effect of vandalism was negative because it results in throwing the communities into darkness.
The aspirant noted that continued vandalism of power equipment was incapacitating PHCN from discharging its services to its consumers who turn around to blame governments for their woes which should not be.
“There are Laws stipulating jail terms and fines for vandals of electricity infrastructure but this can only be applied when those involved are caught,” he said.
Uju urged members of the State Security Service, Police and other law enforcement agencies to help to tackle the issue of vandalism of PHCN equipment in Imo.
“We spent millions of Naira to replace the equipment; this amount would have been better expended on new projects for residents,” he added.
He advised community development associations and other well meaning community members to be alert and assist in curbing vandalism of electrical equipment within their localities.
The Deputy Chief of staff also appealed to the National Assembly to come up with stiffer penalties for offenders that would serve as deterrent to others.
He reassured the communities involved that power supply would soon be restored as soon as the new transformers were installed.

Oil & Energy

NERC, OYSERC Partner To Strengthen Regulation

Published

17 hours ago

February 23, 2026

The Tide

THE Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has stressed the need for strict adherence to due process in operationalizing state electricity regulatory bodies.

It, however, pledged institutional and technical support to the Oyo State Electricity Regulatory Commission (OYSERC).

The Chairman, NERC, Dr Musiliu Oseni, who made the position known while receiving the OYSERC delegation, emphasised that the establishment and take-off of state commissions must align fully with the law setting them up.

Oseni said that the NERC remains committed to partnering with State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERC) to guarantee their institutional stability, operational effectiveness and long-term success.

He insisted that regulatory coordination between federal and state institutions is critical in the evolving electricity market framework, noting that collaboration would help to build strong institutions capable of delivering sustainable outcomes for the sector.

Also speaking, the Acting Chairman, OYSERC and leader of the delegation, Prof. Dahud Kehinde Shangodoyin, said that the visit was aimed at formally introducing the commission’s acting leadership to the NERC and laying the groundwork for a productive working relationship.

Shangodoyin said , the acting members were appointed to provide direction and lay a solid foundation for the commission during its transitional period, pending the appointment of substantive members.

“We are here to formally introduce the acting leadership of OYSERC and to establish a working relationship with NERC as we commence our regulatory responsibilities,” he said.

He acknowledged NERC’s readiness to provide technical and regulatory support, particularly in the area of capacity development, describing the backing as essential for strengthening the commission’s operations at this formative stage.

“We appreciate NERC’s willingness to support us technically and regulatorily, especially in building our capacity during this transition,” he added.

Oil & Energy

NLC Faults FG’s 3trn Dept Payment To GenCos

Published

17 hours ago

February 23, 2026

The Tide

The Nigeria Labour Congress and the Association of Power Generation Companies have engaged in a showdown over federal government legacy debt.

NLC president Joe Ajaero has faulted the federal government’s move to give GenCos N3 trillion from the Federation account as repayment for a power sector legacy debt, which amounts to N6.5 trillion.

In a statement on Thursday, Ajaero said the Federal Government proposed the N3 trillion payment and the N6 trillion debt as a heist and grand deception to shortchange the Nigerian people.

“Nigerians cannot and should not continue to pay for darkness,” Ajaero stated.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Power Generation Companies, APGC, Dr. Joy Ogaji, said Ajaero may be ignorant of the true state of things, insisting that the federal government is indebted to GenCos to the tune of N6.5 trillion.

She feared the longstanding conflict could result in the eventual collapse of the country’s power.

According to her, the federal government’s N501 billion issuance of power sector bonds is inadequate to address its accumulated debt.

Oil & Energy

PENGASSAN Rejects Presidential EO On Oil, Gas Revenue Remittance ……… Seeks PIA Review

Published

17 hours ago

February 23, 2026

The Tide

The Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria(PENGASSAN) Festus Osifo, has faulted the public explanation surrounding the Federal Government’s recent oil revenue Executive Order(EO).

President of the association, Festus Osifo, argued that claims about a 30 per cent deduction from petroleum sharing contract revenue are misleading.

Recall that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, last Wednesday, February 18, signed the executive order directing that royalty oil, tax oil, profit oil, profit gas, and other revenues due to the Federation under production sharing, profit sharing, and risk service contracts be paid directly into the Federation Account.

The order also scrapped the 30 per cent Frontier Exploration Fund under the PIA and stopped the 30 per cent management fee on profit oil and profit gas retained by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

In his reaction, Osifo, while addressing journalists, in Lagos, Thursday, said the figure being referenced does not represent gross revenue accruing to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

He explained that revenues from production sharing contracts are subject to several deductions before arriving at what is classified as profit oil or profit gas.

Osifo also urged President Bola Tinubu to withdraw his recently signed Presidential Executive Order to Safeguard Federation Oil and Gas Revenues and Provide Regulatory Clarity, 2026.

He warned that the directive undermines the Petroleum Industry Act and could create uncertainty in the oil and gas industry, insisting that any amendment to the existing legal framework must pass through the National Assembly.

Osifo argued that an executive order cannot override a law enacted by the National Assembly, describing the move as setting a troubling precedent.

“Yes, that is what should be done from the beginning. You can review the laws of a land. There is no law that is perfect,” he said.

He added that the President should constitute a team to review the PIA, identify its strengths and weaknesses, and forward proposed amendments to lawmakers.

“When you get revenue from PSC, you have to make some deductibles. You deduct royalties. You deduct tax. You also deduct the cost of cost recovery. Once you have done that, you will now have what we call profit oil or profit gas. Then that is where you now deduct the 30 per cent,” he stated..

According to him, when the deductions are properly accounted for, the 30 per cent being referenced translates to about two per cent of total revenue from the production sharing contracts.

“In effect, that deduction is about two per cent of the revenue of the PLCs,” he added, maintaining that the explanation presented in the public domain did not accurately reflect the structure of the deductions.

Osifo warned that removing the affected portion of the revenue could have operational implications for NNPC Ltd, noting that the funds are used to meet salary obligations and other internal expenses.

“That two per cent is what NNPC uses to pay salaries and meet some of its obligations.The one you are also removing from the midstream and downstream, it is part of what they use in meeting their internal obligations. So as you are removing this, how are they going to pay salaries?” he queried.

Beyond the immediate impact on the company’s workforce, he cautioned that regulatory uncertainty could affect investor confidence in the sector.

“If the international community and investors lose confidence in Nigeria, it has a way of affecting investment. That should be the direction. You don’t put a cow before the horse,” he added.

According to him, stakeholders, including labour unions and industry operators, should be given the opportunity to make inputs at the National Assembly as part of the amendment process saying “That is how laws are refined,”