Stanley Nkwazema
12 July 2008
Abuja — The Federal Government yesterday announced the appointment of a transitional board for the Power Holding Company of Nigerian (PHCN) pending the implementation of the Power Sector Reform Programme.
Honourable Minister of State (Power), Hajia Fatima Ibrahim is the chairman of the board, which also has Alhaji Bello Suleiman as the executive vice chairman. Other members of the board are the Honourary Adviser to the President on Power Alhaji Rilwan Lukman, director general of the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE), managing director, Nigeria Gas Company, a representative of the Federal Ministry of Finance, representative of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mr Simeon Obiora Atakulu (executive director, Operations), and Mr Isiaq Abdulrasaq (executive director, Finance and Administration) as members.
In a release issued last night by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, the federal government also said that the President would appoint two other members.
Kingibe said the board would, among other responsibilities, oversee the day-to-day management of PHCN and implementation of the power sector reform, including the unbundling of the company.
The Federal Government had three years ago unbundled the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) into 18 transmission, distribution and generation companies in a move aimed at privatising and commercialising the establishment.
But rather than ameliorate the problem, the move has caused more confusion in the system, as the country has never generated enough power to solve its teething development challenges. The House of Representatives only last week concluded an investigation into the alleged $16 billion spent on the power sector by former President Olusegun Obasanjo between 1999 and 2007 without commensurate results.
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