An Abuja High Court sitting at Jabi has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Nigerian Army, to forthwith, release Col. Nicholas Ashinze, a former aide to the erstwhile National Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), who has been in detention since December 23, 2015.

In a judgment on Monday, Justice Yusuf Haliru, directed the respondents to immediately release the applicant on self-recognition, saying his detention for over three months without trial, was “‎illegal, wrongful, unlawful and constituted a blatant violation of the fundamental rights of the applicant”.

The court also ordered immediate release of documents and items the anti-graft agency seized from the house of the applicant.

Justice Haliru blasted both the EFCC and the Army which he said acted as if Nigeria was still under military ‎dictatorship.

“The EFCC is a creation of the ‎law. The court will not allow it to act as if it is above the law. It is remarkable to note that the motto of the EFCC is that nobody is above the law, yet they are acting as if they are above the law.

“The EFCC Act is not superior to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The respondents in this matter have not behaved as if we are in a civilised society. They have behaved as if we are in a military dictatorship ‎where they arrest and release persons at will.

‎“The respondents, I must be bold to say- the EFCC and the Army- have behaved like illiterates”, the Judge added.

He said the constitution stipulated that any person so detained should be charged to court within reasonable time not exceeding two months from the date of arrest.

Justice Haliru stressed that under section 36 of the 1999 constitution, as amended, an accused person is deemed innocent until his guilt is established.

‎“Why has the 1st respondent kept the applicant without bringing him to court? Why was the applicant, being a serving military officer who could be easily reached, not granted administrative bail? Or is it that the applicant has been found guilty and already serving his jail term?‎

“Nobody should be subjected to the whims and caprices of the EFCC. The essence of the rule of law and constitutional provisions is to ensure a just balance between the ruler and the ruled, between the powerful and the weak.

“Though the EFCC has the responsibility to investigate financial crime, it must however conduct its operations in accordance with the rule of law.

“The court is empowered to guard against i‎mproper use of power by any member of the society or agency, EFCC inclusive.‎

“The detention of the applicant, for all intent and purposes, is not just unfair but unfortunate”, the court held.

President Muhammadu Buhari is currently in Malabo to speak with Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, president of Equatorial Guinea.

In a statement, Femi Adesina, special adviser to the president on media and publicity, said the president will be visiting to discuss “measures to protect the people and resources of the Niger Delta and Gulf of Guinea”.

“The conclusion and signing of an agreement by Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea for the establishment of a combined maritime policing and security patrol committee on Tuesday is expected to be the major outcome of President Buhari’s talks with his host,” read the statement.

Adesina said presidents of both countries “are also expected to discuss and agree on other collaborative measures to combat crimes such as piracy, crude oil theft, attacks on oil rigs, arms smuggling and human trafficking in the Gulf of Guinea”.

“Both leaders will also confer on the rescheduling of the joint summit of the Economic Community of West African States and the Economic Community of Central African States on additional cooperative measures to curb terrorism and violent extremism in West and Central Africa.”

Adesina said the summit was to have been hosted by Equatorial Guinea in 2015 but was postponed because of Nigeria’s general election.

“In accordance with the main focus and agenda of the trip, President Buhari will be accompanied by the Minister of Defence, Brig.-Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali (rtd.), the National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd.) and other senior security officials,” Adesina said.

The president is expected back in Abuja on Tuesday.

‎Justice Yusuf Halilu of the federal capital territory (FCT) high court, Jabi, has granted Nicholas Ashinze, a colonel and ex-aide of Sambo Dasuki, former national security adviser (NSA), who has been in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigeria army, bail on self-recognition.

Ashinze had filed a fundamental rights suit against the EFCC, the Nigeria army and Tukur Buratai, chief of army staff, challenging his detention by the agents of the federal government since December 23, 2015. He asked for N500m in damages.

While delivering his ruling, Justice‎ Halilu stated the EFCC, the Nigeria army and other security agencies must learn to discharge their duties in accordance with the law.

The respondents (EFCC and Nigeria army) have not behaved as if they live in a civilised society. They behaved like we are still in the military era,” the judge said.

“They must learn to behave themselves and act within the basic provisions of the law.”

He held that it was “illegal, wrongful and a blatant violation of the fundamental human rights of applicant” for him to be held for months without trial.

He, therefore, ordered the release of Ashinze forthwith on self-recognition.

“The EFCC’s motto is: Nobody is above the law; but they are acting as if they are above the law here,” Justice Halilu said.

“The EFCC’s Act is not superior to the 1999 constitution as amended. If the EFCC has a case against the applicant they should take him to court.”

However, he did not grant the prayer for the award of N500m against the government.

Hope of resolving the crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party over the emergence of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the National Chairman of the party has taken another turn as two members of a group in the main opposition party have asked an Abuja High Court to compel Sheriff to vacate office by the end of March.

They are also seeking an order of the court to compel the party’s national leadership not to hold the forthcoming national convention until the membership register of the party is computerised as stipulated in section 8(11) of its constitution.

The National Executive Committee of the party had fixed the convention, which is to hold in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, for May 21, 2016.

But the suit, dated March 8, which is aimed at stopping the meeting and the sacking of Sheriff, was filed by Mr. Nwosu Emmanuel and Mr. Eze Silas on behalf of the Restart PDP Group.

By implication, Sheriff and other members of the National Working Committee will be in office till May 2016, instead of March when their tenure ought to end.

Former ministers, who served during the party’s 16-year reign at the centre and the PDP Restart Group are, however, insisting that Sheriff and his management team should vacate office on March 31.

However, according to a copy of the originating summons, with suit number CV/1174/16, filed at a Federal High Court in Abuja, Emmanuel and Silas are the plaintiffs while the PDP, Sheriff and the NWC are the first, second and third defendants respectively.

Prayers being sought before the court is an order “restraining the 1st defendant, 3rd defendant and the current national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (Senator Ali Modu Sheriff) and all other national officers of the Peoples Democratic Party, whose tenure of office shall expire in March 2016 in line with the party’s constitution, from unlawfully extending their tenure of office beyond the mandatory four years term expressly stipulated in Section 47(1) of the constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party.”

They also seeking an order “restraining the defendants, all officers and organs of the 1st defendant from parading or further parading the tenure of office of the 2nd defendant or any officers or organs of the 1st defendant, whose tenure of office shall expire in March 2016 in line with the party’s constitution, as having been expired beyond March 2016.”

While asking the court for a declaration on the tenure of Sheriff, they noted that Sheriff “having emerged to complete the unexpired constitutionally-stipulated four years terms of the last former national chairman of the party and his immediate predecessor respectively (Alh. Adamu Mu’azu and Alh. Bamanga Tukur), whose tenure jointly ought to expire in March 2016, should vacate office in March, 2016 as any extension of his tenure shall contravene the provisions of sections 2 and 47(1) and (6) of the constitution of the party”.

Seeking an order to stop the May 21 convention, they pleaded with the court to compel the party to give effect to Section 8 (11) of the constitution, which provides that a membership register of the party should be computerised.

The plaintiffs asked the court to restrain “the first defendant and all its organs from conducting party congress and 2016 national convention or other further national conventions pending the computerisation of the party membership register as mandatorily stipulated in Section 8(11) of the party’s constitution.

Section 8 (11) of PDP’s constitution reads, “The party membership register shall be computerised to ensure control and to avoid fraud and all ward registers shall be closed one month to congresses.”

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the case.

When contacted, the spokesman for the Restart PDP Group, Chief Jackson Ude, said the suit became necessary to ensure that the PDP allowed the constitution of the party to prevail instead of a “back-door agreement by few selfish individuals in the party.”

He added, “If the PDP constitution says Bamanga Tukur and Adamu Mu’azu’s tenure, which Ali Modu Sheriff is concluding expires on March 28, so be it.

“Let him and members of the NWC leave so the party can cleanse itself and begin on a new slate

“We must go back to the rule of law and the constitution. The impunity within the party is because few individuals decided on their own to jettison the constitution for their own selfish interest. All well-meaning members of the PDP must insist on the constitution.”

The Federal Government has warned that it would deal ruthlessly with those engaged in pipeline vandalism and the sabotage of power infrastructure in the country. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, gave the warning in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr Segun Adeyemi.

Mohammed said that pipeline vandalism and the sabotage of power infrastructure had drastically reduced power generation/transmission as well as fuel supplies in recent times, thus inflicting untold hardship on Nigerians.

He said that repeated attacks on oil and gas pipelines and the willful shut down of power facilities by protesters amounted to economic sabotage which no government would tolerate. “Vandals, whatever their motives are, cannot and will not be treated with kid gloves because their actions constitute a clear and present danger to the nation’s economic, social and political well-being.

“The attack on the Forcados Export Terminal that has affected gas production by oil firms and reduced gas supply to power generating plants and the shutdown of Utorogu gas plant are totally condemnable and cannot be allowed to continue,’’ he said. He said that the administration would not do anything to abridge the constitutional rights of any individual or group to carry out protests.

He, however, warned that the administration would not tolerate a situation where people hide under the guise of legitimate protests to sabotage power infrastructure. “The shutdown of the national transmission facility in Osogbo and the Ikeja Disco by some unionists amount to economic sabotage,’’ he said. Mohammed said the government was not unaware that as it steps up the fight against corruption, corruption would vigorously fight back in many forms which include destruction/sabotage of key national infrastructure to make the government look bad.

“However, nothing will make this government to slow down in its anticorruption fight and no one who is corrupt will be spared,’’ he warned. He appealed to Nigerians to join hands with the government to check the activities of unpatriotic elements working against the interest of the people.

“When oil and gas facilities are vandalised, the impact is felt directly by Nigerians; when power infrastructure is sabotaged for whatever reasons, Nigerians bear the brunt. “While those actions may be aimed at discrediting the government, those who pay the price are the vast majority of innocent, law-abiding and well-meaning Nigerians, not just the vandals or the saboteurs,’’ he said.

He, however, noted that the power situation was gradually improving as generation had now increased to around 4,000 megawatts. He said that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr Ibe Kachikwu, had assured that the prevailing fuel queues would gradually ease in the next few day

Despite suspending their strike, Nigerian oil workers insist on the convocation of an all-inclusive conference to discuss the problems facing the oil and gas industry in the country.

The nationwide strike suspended on Thursday was embarked upon to protest government’s decision to restructure the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.

The oil workers, under the aegis of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, said the problems facing the industry are too much for one individual, group or government to provide solutions to.

The President of PENGASSAN, Francis Johnson, revealed that the problems are so much that it would require the coming together of all interest groups in the industry to proffer solutions that would be lasting legacies for future generations.

Mr. Johnson identified some of the problems to include crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, backlog of joint venture cash calls, poor state of refineries, corruption in the importation of petroleum products and subsidy payment to marketers, and abuse of Nigerian Content policy.

He said the problems also include the status of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, Petroleum Equalization Fund, PEF, and interfering role of the NNPC in the performance of their mandates.

The Urhobo Progressive Union (UPU) of Delta on Saturday confirmed the death of Chief Felix Ibru, after a brief illness at the age of 80 years.

Olorogun Felix Ibru Mr Josiah Ntekume, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) interim committee of the union in a statement in Warri said news of the death of the former Governor of Delta came as a shock to the Urhobo people.

”The death of Olorogun Felix Ibru today came as a shock to the Urhobo nation.” A heart has stopped beating. A good soul has ascended to heaven. We part with our beloved former President-General of UPU and first Executive Governor of Delta in pain,” he said.

Ntekume prayed God to grant the family the fortitude to bear the great loss. Ibru, a former senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a business tycoon, was born on Dec. 7, 1935 to the family of Chief Peter Ibru in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta.

As a traditional chieftain of his homeland, Felix Ibru bears the tribal honorific Olorogun. He often uses it as a pre-nominal style the title is also borne by many of the members of his large family in the same way.

As a student in Nottingham, he was elected the first Black President of the British Council with responsibility for Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Leicestershire. In 1997 he was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws (LL.D) by the Delta State University and a Fellowship of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).

His political activities began in 1983 when he contested for a seat in the Senate, which he late won in 2003 representing Delta Central Senatorial; District. He ran for the Governorship of Delta in 1991 and emerged as the First Executive Governor of the newly created state in 1992. The business icon was survived by six children and many grandchildren.

Michael Wetkas, a detective of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Wednesday, May 11, said Bukola Saraki, the Senate president declared a property that did not exist. Wetkas said this at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) while he was being cross-examined by Paul Usoro, one of the lead counsel to Saraki. According to him, the property which did not exist was said to be at 15b McDonald road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Usoro asked if he stood by his testimony that the property which the defendant declared did not exist, Wetkas replied that any report brought before the court is from investigations carried out. However, Usoro was able to develop facts that meant the property existed while cross-examining the witness. One of the facts was a letter written to a presidential implementation committee, by one Egwuagu, an occupant of the building, in 2008 stating that he was in possession of the property as of 1994.
“I am still living in the property with my family and can’t abandon it,” according to the engineer when Usoro read out an excerpt of the letter.

Usoro asked Wetkas: “However, in your investigation report, there was nothing indicating that the property was occupied.” Wetkas agreed although initially he disagreed until he was asked to read it out to the court, then he later agreed that it was not there.

Also, the witness read out a report from the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) revealing that the property was verified. However, a heated exchange ensued over ownership of the property.

Usoro contended that there were three pieces of property located at McDonald road, Ikoyi, 15, block A and B, and 15b, and that the property in contention might not be that of his client. However, Wetkas agreed that there were three pieces of property in the same area, but did not give further details.

Meanwhile, on Monday, April 18, Wetkas claimed that Saraki bought a property for N522m, which he failed to declare it at the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB). He claimed the property was bought in the name of Tiny Tee Limited from a Presidential Implementation Committee on landed property between 2006 and 2007. He said the part payment was from GTB account of Carlie Properties and Investment Ltd. Saraki has been undergoing trial at the CCT since September 22, 2015.

The decision of the Federal Government to unbundle the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC may have set it on a collision course with The National Assembly as workers unions in the oil and gas sector were went on a strike action that paralyzed activities in the corporation.

Both the National Assembly and the workers accused the Federal government of violating the law establishing the NNPC. According to them, the corporation was established through the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Act of 1977.  The NNPC Act specifically states that the Act or any part thereof can only be altered, changed or otherwise amended by the Act of the National Assembly.

“It is also stated in CAP N123, laws of the Federation, 2004 that the NNPC is a creature of legislature; the NNPC Act or any part thereof can only be altered, changed or otherwise amended by an Act of the National Assembly.

While the Senate declared the action illegal and had begun probe of President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to undertake the unbundling, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, and National Union of of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, shut  NNPC offices in protest against the move, sparking off fears of worsening fuel scarcity.

There were, however, discordant tunes in the House of Representatives as some members kicked against the unbundling, while others saw nothing wrong with it.

However, rising from the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting yesterday, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and Group managing Director of NNPC, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu, who announced the unbundling on Tuesday, said what the corporation did was not unbundling but mere re-organisation.

Senate Chief Whip, Senator Olusola Adeyeye, APC, Osun Central, in a point of order on the floor of the Senate, yesterday, drew the attention of other senators to the unbundling of the nation’s agency in charge of the oil and gas sector in the country.

Adeyeye, who will formally present a motion on the matter today, where there would be extensive debate at the plenary, described the exercise as illegal as the federal government did not consult with the National Assembly to repeal the enabling law that set up NNPC before breaking it into different components.

Senator Adeyeye said:  “We cannot afford a strike at this time and the reason for the strike is because the NNPC has been unbundled, broken into parts that are not known to the laws which established the NNPC.

“The NNPC was established with a definite purpose and a definite structure to carry out that purpose.

“Throughout the last National Assembly, we worked very hard on the PIB bill so as to give our petroleum sector an effective structure; we are still working on that. I don’t think any director of any parastatal should act outside of the law.

“I, therefore, seek the permission of the Presidency of this senate and distinguished members that I raise the matter tomorrow (today) for consideration.”

NUPENG, PENGASSAN protest

Meanwhile, all operations of the NNPC were, yesterday, shut by protesting workers as a result of the unbundling. The workers, acting on the platform of NUPENG, and PENGASSAN, shut the gates leading to the NNPC Towers as early as 6.30am and prevented movement in and out of the towers.

The workers said they were not against the unbundling, but insisted that it must be done in accordance with the law of the land and that all stakeholders, especially PENGASSAN and NUPENG, must be carried along.

Speaking on the action, acting General Secretary of PENGASSAN, Mr. Lumumba Okugbawa, said the move by the government would be tantamount to policy somersault, noting that it would discourage investors from the nation’s oil and gas industry at a time the nation needed foreign investment to grow the industry.

He lamented that the government did not take into consideration the existing law that established the NNPC before unbundling the corporation and called for an all-inclusive stakeholders’ forum where all issues confronting the industry could be resolved.

Okugbawa said:  “The NNPC was established through the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Act of 1977.  The NNPC Act specifically states that the Act or any part thereof can only be altered, changed or otherwise amended only by the Act of the National Assembly.

“It is also started in CAP N123, laws of the Federation, 2004 that the NNPC is a creature of legislature; the NNPC Act or any part thereof can only be altered, changed or otherwise amended by an Act of the National Assembly.

“This Act has many provisions that deal with structure and operations of the corporation. There are many issues such as pensions and transfer of the employees, which were provided for in the NNPC Act of 1977. What will happen to all these provisions of the law?

“For the government to do anything with the current NNPC, the Act must either be repealed or amended. If not, it will amount to lack of respect for the rule of law on the part of the government.

“There is the issue of the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, expected to be the legal instrument for the ongoing reforms of the oil and gas industry. This will be meaningless if the government should introduce plans outside the reforms, The PIB is germane to the development of the nation’s oil and gas industry.

“Above all, the various stakeholders, especially the unions were shocked to receive the news as every other Nigerian. There is confusion everywhere, no direction, no explanation about anything. What happens to the head of subsidiaries like Petroleum and Products Marketing Company, PPMC, National Petroleum Investment and Management Services, NAPIMS, even the refineries?”

Reps divided

But there were discordant tunes among members of the House of Representatives over the decision by NUPENG and PENGASSAN to embark on strike, following the unbundling.

While the member representing Okitipupa/Irele Federal Constituency of Ondo State, Micheal Adeniyi Omogbehin and Gabriella Omosede Igbinedion representing Ovia North East/South-West Federal Constituency of Edo State condemned the minister for being hasty in carrying out the proposal, Philip Shaibu representing Etsako Federal Constituency of Edo State, said the minister had not violated any law.

Omogbehin specifically wondered why the minister was in a hurry when the House of Representatives on Tuesday called for a suspension of the proposal, pending when it’s relevant committees on oil and gas submitted its report on the matter.

He said that the House which he described as Nigerian House had taken a decision, asking the minister to halt the proposal to unbundle the NNPC, pending when the committees should submit their reports but expressed surprise the minister ignored the resolution of the House.

His position was supported by Igbinedion, who wondered what it would remove from the minister if he should suspend implementation of the proposed unbundling of the NNPC, pending when the relevant committees concluded their investigations and submit their reports.

But Shaibu differed with his colleagues as he said that the proposal was for administrative convenience and effective management of NNPC, adding that there was no law known to him that had been violated.

He said:  “I think what to my knowledge is the meaning of unbundling, according to the minister, is for efficiency and proper management of that establishment, knowing that it is the hallmark of revenue generation, the life wire of this country.

“It must be taken seriously more so with the level of corruption and mismanagement that have taken place in NNPC. There are lots of misnomer in NNPC that are already being investigated. Looking at what he has done from my perspective, it was just to create an avenue where he can manage effectively and also take advantage of enormous resources in this country and make sure that nothing is lost.

“By my little investigation so far, the Act of 1977 establishing the NNPC, does not have any where it stipulated how to unbundle NNPC as he has done. For me, I call it demarcation like he has done. The law, so far as I have seen, has not been offended.”

Its mere re-organisation- Kachikwu

However, rising from the FEC meeting, yesterday, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Ibe Kachukwu, stated that government has not unbundled the NNPC yet.

Explaining the development in the oil sector in an interview with State House correspondents after the meeting of the Federal Executive Council at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the minister, who is also the Group Managing Director, GMD of NNPC, said what the corporation did was re-organisation.

He said:  “We have not unbundled NNPC. We had a press conference, yesterday (Tuesday), where I explained this.  What we have simply done is re-organisation. We have five business entities focused on business: Upstream, Downstream, Refineries, Gas and Power that are there before.

“There are also ventures that capture all our little companies that were not having proper stewardship. They are run by individuals who report to the GMD.

“The NNPC is still a whole. There is nothing new that has happened.  I have tried to explain this and I am sure the NNPC workers are members of the family, they will understand.”

‘’We are going to have a meeting, and they will be made to understand. Perhaps the engagement has not been good enough.

“NNPC has not been unbundled in the sense of breaking up NNPC into distinct institutions.  I am concerned. I don’t want the industry shut down. I am sure we are going to resolve the issues very soon”.

Reprieve might have come the way of Nigerians as striking Nigerian oil workers have called off their day old strike after an all-night meeting with the Minister of State for Petroleum and Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr Ibe Kachikwu.

The workers under the aegis of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas, NUPENG, and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, had Wednesday shut the offices of the state-owned oil company across the country on the ground that they were not carried along in the move to restructure the oil giant.

It was gathered from sources with knowledge of the meeting that talks and negotiations were cordial.

Part of the deal reached was that the Minister would set up a joint committee between the unions and key management of the NNPC to review and possibly implement recommendations from the unions, it was learnt.

The meeting also agreed that there would be no job cuts or loses in the course of the reorganization.

A joint statement later issued to by the unions said: “The GECs of NUPENG and PENGASSAN had a marathon meeting with the GMD/Minister of Petroleum (State) and NNPC Top Mgt for several hours, ending this morning @ 4:30am on the on-going industrial action.

“After exhaustive deliberations, a resolution was signed by the two parties. In view of that, the INDUSTRIAL ACTION is hereby suspended.

“The GEC salutes your SOLIDARITY, UNDERSTANDING & COOPERATION.”

This corroborates an earlier message posted on NNPC’s Twitter handle which announced the suspension of the strike and the readiness of both parties to resume work in the restructuring of a new NNPC.

“Sequel to exhaustive deliberations between our group managing director and PENGASSAN and NUPENG, the corporate-wide strike has been suspended.

“The Group Executive Councils of PENGASSAN and NUPENG have resolved to support the restructuring and change process towards a #NewNNPC,” the NNPC said Thursday on its Twitter account.

The highly pronounced power failures across the country in the past few days may worsen following a partial system collapse that occurred on Tuesday, and the continuous drop in electricity generation due to what the government says is the vandalism of pipelines that supply gas to the power plants.

As a result, power generation dropped to 1,580.6 megawatts on Wednesday.

Data from the Nigeria Electricity System Operator as well as information from senior officials of the different electricity distribution companies confirmed that power generation plummeted massively on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The officials noted that this resulted in the reduction of the electricity load allocated to the Discos, stressing that this was why many parts of the country had been recording blackouts in the past few days.

It was learnt that the partial system collapse that occurred on Tuesday happened at the Shiroro Power Plant and dragged down electricity generation to as low as 1,233.4MW from a peak of 3,207.7MW recorded on the same day.

Data from NESO showed that by 9.48am on Wednesday, power generation was 1,580.6MW, with the Ikeja Electric getting 237.09MW; Abuja, 181.77MW; Eko, 173.87MW; Benin, 142.25MW; and Enugu, 142.25MW.

Others are Ibadan, 205.48MW; Jos, 86.93MW; Kano, 126.45MW; Kaduna, 126.45MW; Port Harcourt, 102.74MW; and Yola, 55.32MW.

One of our correspondents gathered that prior to the partial collapse of the system, the Abuja, Ikeja and Eko distribution firms were getting over 350MW each to meet the power needs of a considerable number of their customers.

In fact, it was learnt that the normal baseline allocation for the Abuja Disco was 450MW, but on Wednesday, the firm got 181.77MW around 9.48am, according to data from NESO, and this further dropped to 131.77MW by 1.25pm.

On reason for the slump in electricity generation, officials at the power arm of the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing told one of our correspondents that the same old issue of gas pipeline vandalism had continued to pose challenge to adequate electricity generation and distribution.

An official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “Gas is vital for power generation and most of the electricity being generated in Nigeria is produced by gas-fired power plants. Both the ministers of power and petroleum have often called on Nigerians to help safeguard these infrastructure, but we keep recording explosions of gas pipelines.

“Currently, repairs are ongoing on some of the ruptured pipelines and once they are completed, we believe generation will pick up again.”

Last week, the acting Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Dr. Anthony Akah, lamented the incidences of vandalism that led to the reduction in peak power generation and supply from the national grid.

Akah, who spoke in Abuja, solicited the support of members of the public and the Consumer Protection Council to collaborate with electricity service providers and security agencies in ensuring adequate protection of power installations across the country.

Similarly, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, told journalists in Abuja on Tuesday that vandalism had been a serious challenge to not just the oil and gas sector, but also the power sector.

Meanwhile, the management of Ikeja Electric has apologised to its customers for the epileptic power supply across its network in the past three days.

The Head of Corporate Communications, Ikeja Electric, Mr. Felix Ofulue, made the apology through a statement on Wednesday.

Ofulue attributed the poor service to the ongoing activities by labour unions picketing the facilities of the company over the purported sacking of 400 workers.

He said the company’s employees were not on strike, but that they had been prevented by the protesting labour unions from gaining access to its facilities and “are, therefore, not in a position to provide any consistent service to our valued customers.”

Ofulue noted that the situation had impacted negatively on power supply as well as the purchase of recharge units because all the substations, business units and undertakings had been taken over by members of the protesting unions.

He said, “Ikeja Electric regrets all inconveniences this action may have caused its customers and appeals to all its customers to please bear with us.

“We assure our customers that the company is doing its best to normalise the situation within the shortest possible time. We thank all our customers for their patience and understanding.”

Power sector workers under the aegis of National Union of Electricity Employees and Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies had on Monday picketed the head office of the Ikeja Electric over the sacking of 400 workers of the company.

The union had issued a seven-day ultimatum to the management of the company last week Tuesday to recall the disengaged workers or face industrial action.

A former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, has rejected his nomination as one of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra’s representatives to negotiate or discuss on behalf of the group.

IPOB had on Wednesday listed Anyaoku as one of the “credible Igbo elders” that would represent it in “negotiations” and “discussions”.

Also on the list are former Vice-President Alex Ekwueme; Prof. Ben Nwabueze; the   Archbishop of Owerri Catholic Diocese, Archbishop Anthony Obinna; a Biafran civil war army commander, Alex Madiebo; and an activist, Dr. Arthur Nwankwo.

But, Anyaoku, who said he had yet to be contacted by the Pro-Biafra group, stated that he would not accept the appointment.

He said, “I have not been approached nor would I be willing to undertake such an assignment in the present circumstances.’’

In a statement signed by its spokesmen, Emma Mmezu and Clifford Iroanya, IPOB said the selection of Ekwueme, Anyaoku and the others came on the heels of its rejection of the alleged meeting between the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and a United States of America delegation in Enugu.

In the statement entitled, ‘Beware of impostors’, the group dissociated itself from any discussions or negotiations entered into on its behalf by Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

IPOB alleged that the Ohanaeze leaders claimed they were speaking on its behalf at the alleged meeting with the US officials, who were said to be on a fact-finding mission.

The statement read in part, “We do not deal with nor condone the idea of washed- out political contractors and compromised merchants of misery speaking for Biafrans.

“We value our reputation as IPOB and would like to warn that anybody dealing with any group that is not IPOB under the supreme command of Nnamdi Kanu (our detained leader) is engaging in an exercise in futility.

“Our focus now is to ensure the release of our leader first before we negotiate with anyone.

“We would view anyone discussing or attempting to cut a deal without the knowledge of the leadership of IPOB as an enemy of the people.

“IPOB has chosen Dr Arthur Nwankwo, Dr Alex Ekwueme, Archbishop Anthony Obinna, Gen. Alex Maduebo, Prof. Ben Nwabueze and Chief Emeka Anyaoku as credible elders, who will speak the truth without being easily compromised.”