From UP NEPA TO UP PHCN NOW UP EMS .
I liked nepa more it rhymed so well . Finally the Transfer has been made .
“I CAN tell you that PHCN has almost ceased to exist now. Once the
Transitional Electricity Market is declared in a few weeks time, that
is the end of PHCN. Functionally, it has ceased to exist, but there
must be a formal hand-over and once that takes place, they will finally
cease to exist.”
In the above words, Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, formally
inaugurated officials of the Electricity Management Services Limited
(EMS) to take over all functions of the Power Holding Company of
Nigeria (PHCN) that were left after it was unbundled into 18
successor companies.
Meanwhile, following the 21-day extension given to it to pay up the
balance of $93 million for Enugu Electricity Distribution Company
(DISCO) PLC, the preferred bidder, Interstate Electrics has finally
concluded payment, sources at the National Council on Privatization
(NCP) have said.
The Guardian learnt from a source privy to the meeting of the
Technical Sub-Committee of the NCP Tuesday that it decided to hand
the utility over to Interstate following a submission from the Bureau
of Public Enterprises (BPE) that the firm had paid up the last tranches
of the 75% pending payment.
The Federal Government through the Electricity Power Reform Act
(EPSR) 2005 established PHCN (the initial holding company) to take
over the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA), a wholly state-
owned enterprise responsible for generation, transmission and
distribution.
PHCN was subsequently unbundled into eighteen successor companies
and officially meant to last only a few months before giving way.
In addition to other functions, the new body, Nebo said, would ensure
strict technical enforcement of regulations of the Nigerian
Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). The minister stressed how
the new organization would provide the needed services to drive,
support and sustain the emerging private sector-led electricity
industry.
Nebo stressed that the post-challenges of the rapidly evolving
private-led power industry were critical, hence the need for the EMS
as a player to provide sector-wide services.
He said: “ The EMS is therefore, to take over the responsibilities of
some non-core professional and subsidiary services of the defunct
PHCN and its successor companies. Its mandate includes providing all
needed ancillary and support services to the Nigerian Electricity
Supply Industry (NESI). These services include engineering
laboratory, meter test stations, central stores system, testing and
certification of major electrical power equipment. Other activities
will include providing the platform for standardization in the industry,
arching the power sector data and information management.
He told the 10-man management team: “What this means is that your
mandated functions is to respond to the need for sustenance and
improvement of power supply and service delivery. At the same time,
you must ensure quality and standardization of materials, equipment
and machines used for electricity generation, transmission and
distribution networks in Nigeria.
“We have come very close to the end of PHCN. Basically, almost all of
the staff have been paid. What is left is independent retirement
benefit that is going to be paid into their accounts. We are actually
ready to hand over and many of the companies are willing to take
over. The only thing is that the Minister needs to declare a
transitional electricity market and that will be done when all the
conditions precedent to that declaration have been put in place.
“NERC will advise me when to do that, and NERC is actually having a
retreat now to make sure that everything is in place, and that all the
details are fine-tuned before the declaration of the transitional
electricity market. We need standardization, we need standard and
EMS is going to enforce that, and whatever regulation NERC has put
in place, EMS is going o make sure that technically, these regulations
are being realized.”
He stressed that the management team had the task of repositioning
EMS into a technically and financially efficient, sustainable and
commercially viable company.
Well i musy say i have been receiving constant power in my Area of late have you ???
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