NERC to Senate: we can’t abolish fixed charge

•Fixed charged to be proportional to consumption

The Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) yesterday told the Senate that it cannot abolish the fixed charge.

NERC Chairman Dr. Sam Amadi  said  the  National Assembly had passed the Electric Power Sector Reform  (EPSR) Act, which mandated the commission to produce a tariff methodology for the electricity market.

He argued that removing the fixed charge would contradict the law the National Assembly made on tariff methodology.

Amadi spoke with reporters in Abuja, noting that tariff making could not be an executive fiat.

He said: “The National Assembly made the ESPR Act. And the Act said the commission should produce a methodology. Tariff making is a process-based activity. It is not an executive fiat. The reason why the law created the regulator is to give confidence to the market;  their decisions are procedural and the decisions are deliberately considered.

Nigeria’s power sector: Huge investment, little result

In the past 16 years, the Federal Government tried unsuccessfully to make the power sector play its role as the driver of industrialisation. Despite the huge funds pumped into the sector, power generation has not gone beyond 4,500 megawatts. EMEKA UGWUANYI and JOHN OFIKHENUA examine the situation

With over N5 trillion estimated to have been spent on the power sector between 1999 and now, businesses should no longer see public electricity source as alternative rather than the real deal.

The Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), its successor companies – the generation, transmission and distribution companies received a chunk of the over N5 trillion.  Funds were also expended on the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP), which is supervised by a special purpose vehicle, the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) Limited. The NDPHC was created to fast-track the attainment of stable power supply in the country when past efforts failed.

Unfortunately, the corruption the government wanted to avoid caught up with the NIPP programme. The programme was conceived in 2004 and the NDPHC was created in 2005. In 2007, $16 billion was allocated to the NIPP and used up within four years. The project was engulfed in controversy and litigation because of the alleged unexplained utilisation of the fund. The immediate past administration suspended the NIPP programme dismissing it as huge fraud and drainpipe but after two years, the suspension was lifted and the government continued with the project.

Buhari accepts Abdullahi’s resignation from Customs

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday accepted the resignation of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi.

Abdullahi is billed to proceed on his voluntary retirement from Tuesday, August 18.

The Customs boss had earlier written a letter dated August 3 to the President notifying him of his desire to proceed on voluntary retirement from Tuesday.

Buhari: no pressure will derail war against corruption

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that no amount of pressure will make him give up on the war against corruption.

He spoke through an address delivered by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, to a group of Nigerians under the aegies of “Nigerians March Against Corruption,” who were at the gate of the Presidential Villa.

Members of the group came on a solidiarity visit to pledge their support for the Buhari administration’s  anti-corruption campaign.

The President promised a relentless prosecution of the war with due regard for the rule of law.

According to him, all persons charged with stealing the nation’s resources will have their day in court and that, upon conviction, their ill-gotten wealth will be seized and returned to government coffers.

‘God saved my life from Orkar’s bullet ‘-IBB

Former military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida clocks 74 years this week. He spoke with reporters in his Hilltop residence, Minna, Niger State, on a wide range of issues. JIDE ORINTUNSIN was there.

Congratulations on your 74th birthday. Some Nigerians say you are not from Niger State but from Ogbomoso. They even claimed that your middle name Badamasi was coined out of a Yoruba name- Gbadamosi. This is an opportunity for you to clear the air. Where is your root?

I had to answer this same question way back November 1962. I was in an interview with a Minister and some prominent Nigerians during my last year in secondary school. Somebody asked me the same question. First of all, I corrected the way it was spelt. 53 years after, I am glad answering the same question. The truth is, I hail from here – Niger State. My parents are from between Wushishi and this town (Minna). My grand-parents travelled to settle down here. So I think that says it all. But above all, there is nothing wrong from being from any part of the country but the truth is, I hail from Niger state. My parents and my great grand parents moved from somewhere and settled down here in Niger state. There are those who still call us settlers in Niger because our grand parents and great-grand-parents came from somewhere but I have lived all my 74 years in Niger state, I think I am more than qualified to be called an indigene of Niger state.

16 feared dead in Kwara cults clashes

No fewer than 16 people were feared dead at the weekend in   clashes of suspected cult members in  Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

Though, the causes of the clashes could not be ascertained last night, it was gathered that suspected members of Aiye and Eiye confraternities clashed at an higher institution.

The Police said  they arrested more than 30 suspects.

Police spokesperson Ajayi Okasanmi, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), who confirmed the arrests, added that 14 had been found culpable after screening.

Okasanmi said the 14 suspects would be charged to court this week.

Sultan to Buhari: corrupt officials should go to jail

The Sultan yesterday backed President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption battle, recommending jail for treasury looters.

To Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III,  treasury plunderers  do not deserve mercy. They should be tried and jailed, the Sokoto monarch said.

The monarch said: “It is our belief that all those found guilty should not only have their entire assets seized and forfeited to government but also face jail sentences.”

It was all at the opening of a National Security Summit organised by the police in collaboration with The Sun Publishing Limited in Abuja. The President said more hands were on the way for the police.