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Ebola to Rise in Coming Days – WHO’S DG

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Ebola to Rise in Coming Days – WHO’S DG
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised alarm that cases from the resurgent Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are expected to rise in the coming days. WHO’s Deputy Director General of Emergency Preparedness and Response, Dr Peter Salama, said in Geneva that there had been around 20 deaths as a result of the Ebola virus.

Salama also said protecting vulnerable people in eastern DRC from the latest Ebola Virus outbreak was going to be “very, very complex”, given the huge logistical challenges and ongoing conflict there.

The WHO emergency preparedness and response chief said: “We know for example that there have been around 20 deaths. We can’t at this stage confirm whether they are all confirmed or probable Ebola cases.

“We expect however that the overall case count will rise in coming days to weeks, based on the trajectory of epidemics at this stage in their development.”

Salama said that WHO was unaware of the public health emergency in North Kivu province when the UN agency a week ago declared the last Ebola episode over.

The outbreak on the western side of the country in June, infected dozens, and led to 33 deaths, but in spite of several cases appearing in a major city on the Congo River, it was fully contained after a massive international and national response. The top WHO official said that there was “no evidence” to suggest a link between the two outbreaks, although it appeared “very likely” that they shared the same deadly Zaire strain.

[dropcap]“T[/dropcap]he death toll from the current Kivu episode is likely to rise,” the WHO official said, adding that the alert was raised on July 25 after a woman and many members of her immediate family died after exhibiting symptoms consistent with Ebola. “That event appears to have been a woman who was admitted to hospital around Beni, and on discharge had recovered from the original complaint.

“After leaving however, she came down with a fever and other symptoms that were clinically consistent with Ebola, and later on, seven of her direct relatives also contracted the disease,” he added.

Salama explained how longstanding conflict in Eastern DRC – involving more than 100 armed groups in the Kivu area and elsewhere – created an additional level of difficulty in trying to contain the deadly disease.

In the first week of February 2018 alone around Beni, attacks displaced more than 2,200, in addition to 1,500 displaced at the end of January.

In the Djugu Territory to the south of North Kivu, inter-ethnic violence led nearly 30,000 to flee their homes to the provincial capital Bunia, at the beginning of 2018.

“It’s going to be a very, very complex operation,” he said, noting that the vast country is home to the UN’s largest peacekeeping operation, the UN Stabilisation Mission in the DRC.

One million of the province’s eight million inhabitants are displaced and getting access to some of those in danger of coming into contact with Ebola, will require an armed escort in some cases, the WHO official explained.

There is also the additional threat that those fleeing violence may also head into nearby Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi, taking the infection with them, Salama said, noting that additional surveillance measures are being implemented at crossing points.

“On the scale of difficulty, trying to extinguish a deadly outbreak pathogen in a war zone is at the top of the scale,” he added.

In the most recent Ebola outbreak, a key part of the emergency response involved tracing anyone who had come into contact with suspected carriers of the disease, he said.

WHO staff could travel hundreds of miles on a motorbike to do this vital work, but this is likely to be much more difficult in view of the high level of insecurity in the Kivus.

One immediate priority is to confirm whether the latest outbreak involves the Zaire strain, since this can be treated with the same vaccine that was employed in Equateur province.

“It’s good news and it’s very bad news. The bad news is that this strain of Ebola carries with it the highest case-fatality-rate of any of the strains of Ebola, anywhere above 50 per cent and higher, according to previous outbreaks.

“So, it’s the most-deadly variant of the Ebola virus strains that we have, that’s the bad news. The good news is that we do have – although it’s still an investigational product – a safe and effective vaccine, that we were able to deploy last time around,” Salama said.

Nigeria Customs Service redeploys 70 Comptrollers

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Nigeria Customs Service redeploys 70 Comptrollers
Hameed Ali, Customs Comptroller-General
Hameed Ali,
Customs Comptroller-General

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Comptroller-General of Customs, Hameed Ali, has approved the redeployment of 70 Comptrollers to meet the challenges of fighting smuggling, revenue collection and trade facilitation. Mr Ali announced this in a statement by the service’s Public Relations Officer, Joseph Attah, on Friday in Abuja.

Mr Attah said “among those affected were Comptrollers Abubakar Bashir,  who moves from Port-Harcourt II (Onne) to Apapa; Musa Jibrin from Apapa to Human Resources Development.

“Comptroller Sa’idu Galadima who moves from Information Communication Technology (ICT) to Port-Harcourt Area II (Onne), while Comptroller, Mohammed Aliyu of Seme Command swapped positions with Comptroller Mohammed Garba of Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ among others,” Mr Attah said.

Mr Attah said the CGC, while giving his approval for the redeployment, said the federal government policies on agriculture, economy and security could only be successful with a strong, determined and patriotic customs service.

According to him, the CGC urges all affected officers to bring their experiences to bear in the new postings by fighting smugglers to standstill and collecting every collectable revenue.

“In the face of challenging security situation and increasing inclination to non-oil revenue drive, the service must step up to be counted as a necessary safety valve for national growth, ” he added.

“The reshufflement  is with immediate effect,” he added.

APC Delta Crisis: SHEATHE YOUR SWORDS, OCHEI TELLS PARTY FAITHFUL

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APC Delta Crisis: SHEATHE YOUR SWORDS, OCHEI TELLS PARTY FAITHFUL
Rt Hon Victor Ochei

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]rising from the factional tendencies in the Delta State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, a front line political figure and former speaker of the Delta state house of assembly, Rt Hon Victor Ochei has urged the party faithful to sheathe their swords, eschew inflammatory utterances and remain calm as concerted efforts are in top gear to resolve the contentious issues.

He made the call while reacting to a flurry of statements credited to some members of the APC in Delta state.

According to him, the situation does not call for derogatory or uncomplimentary statements capable of heating up the polity, as the
National Working Committee under the able and wise leadership of His Excellency, Comrade Adams Oshiomole possess the requisite capacity and expertise to effect an amicable resolution of the issue in ground.

He further maintained that his call for caution is premised on the fact that Comrade Oshiimole is a stickler for justice and peace, backgrounded on his pedigrees as a time-tested unionist and excellent administrator of human and material resources.

According to Ochei,”Comrade Oshiomole is a renowned leader whose belief in the rule of law as well as natural justice, equity and good conscience is legendary and as such will ensure that the matter will be resolved satisfactorily either through the judicial process or the internal machinery of the party.

Senator Godswill Akpabio set to move to APC

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Senator Godswill Akpabio set to move to APC
Senator Godswill Akpabio

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he political romance between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Senator Godswill Akpabio, the PDP Minority Leader in the Senate, has unsettled the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).  Akpabio might defect to the APC any moment from now once the “terms” are wrapped up, The Nation has reported.

The APC is upbeat about the prospect, which analysts believe will be a major political mileage for President Muhammadu Buhari in the South-South.  A PDP top notch said last night that the party has been appealing to the ex-governor not to defect “but we cannot please him and then displease the governor of the state, Deacon Udom Emmanuel, who is the PDP leader in the state.”

There is no love lost between Akpabio and Emmanuel. Emmanuel was practically made governor by Akpabio in 2015. It was learnt that Akpabio had made up his mind to defect on July 24 but was not recognised by the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, who got wind of his move, to make his intention public.

Notwithstanding, Akpabio showed signs of his departure from the PDP on Thursday when he boycotted the special meeting of the National Executive Committee of the PDP held to welcome defectors including Saraki and governors Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (Sokoto) and Samuel Ortom of Benue state, among others.

A top APC source, who spoke in confidence with our correspondent, said: “The APC and some of our leaders are in serious talks with Akpabio, who is rated as a matchmaker in the South-South.

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo chats with PDP Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio who is reportedly making moves to join APC

“The talks border on more deals for the South-South, especially increase in derivation formula; enhanced infrastructure for oil producing areas; how to sustain the ongoing reforms by President Muhammadu Buhari; and arresting the developmental slide in Akwa Ibom State.

“The former governor said his likely defection to APC is informed more by patriotism than selfish interest.”

Responding to a question, the source added: “The terms are still being worked out, but APC is favourably disposed to Akpabio’s defection. “The ex-governor has an open mind, he has no airs and he does not pretend in asking for a better nation which he thinks Buhari can offer.

“In fact, it was part of the talks that made him visit Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday when the PDP national EXCO was meeting in Abuja.

“We will no doubt accept him into APC. This is a major development from the South-South.”

Athletes laud Asaba 2018 spectators

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Athletes laud Asaba 2018 spectators

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]hree of the athletes at the ongoing 2018 African Senior Athletics Championships (ASAC) in Asaba on Saturday applauded spectators at the events for their show of love to athletes. The spectators have been daily trooping in large numbers to watch and cheer athletes at the Stephen Keshi Stadium.

South Africa’s Akani Simbine, who won the gold medal in the men’s 100m race at the championships, said the fans had been wonderful since the competition started.“The fans here are wonderful and very cheerful, which is also part of the glamour of major athletics meets in the world.

“Irrespective of the country you are representing, they are always rooting for everyone when athletes are introduced and competing,” the 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medalist said. Also, Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare-Ighoteguonor said the fans had added a lot of glamour to the competition with their show of love.

Okagbare-Ighoteguonor, a gold medalist in the women’s 4x100m relay event of the ongoing championships, thanked the fans support.“I just don’t know how to describe the fans in Asaba, they have been so spectacular. The show of love is second to none,” she said.

Speaking in the same vein, South Africa’s Thapole Phora said the fans were very spectacular, adding that their cheerful gesture was a great motivation for participants at the championships.

“It can’t be any better because Asaba fans are great people. Their cheerful act pushed a lot of us to go the extra mile while competing,” the 400m silver medalist said.

Defection battle: Buhari’s men declare war on Saraki, Tambuwal, Ortom

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Defection battle: Buhari’s men declare war on Saraki, Tambuwal, Ortom
President Muhammadu Buhari

[dropcap]F[/dropcap]ollowing the recent gale of defections by some prominent members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), indications emerged at the weekend that President Muhammadu Buhari’s allies have declared a ‘political war’ on the dramatis personae.

The three major actors among others on the radar of the presidency include the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom and his Sokoto State counterpart, Aminu Tambuwal.

A high ranking member of the APC told Saturday Sun that even though the presidency feigned indifference to the defections, it is not leaving any stone unturned to ensure it clips the wings of the actors in the ensuing power game.

It was learnt that even as President Buhari and the ruling party are careful not to adopt undemocratic tactics to achieve their aims, they are determined to curtail the damages the actors’ actions can cause to the fortunes of the APC in next year’s elections.

The Senate President, our source said, would be the first target as President Buhari’s hatchet men are working round the clock to effect his impeachment immediately the red chamber resumes from break.

Saturday Sun also learnt that part of the plan by the presidency is also to penerate the ranks of the lawmakers in both Benue and Sokoto states to see the possibility of impeaching their governors to create room for the APC to reclaim their states.

On Thursday, the PDP had alleged that the presidency and some senators of the APC had perfected a plot to impeach the Senate President, Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu. The national publicity secretary of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement alleged that part of the plot was for President Buhari to embark on a two-week vacation in London as an alibi to exonerate him from the plan to forcefully remove the two presiding officers from the National Assembly.

The PDP claimed the plot was hatched in a meeting, on Wednesday night, August 1, between the presidency and some APC senators bent on taking control of the National Assembly. The opposition party said it had got information that APC senators, especially members of the Buhari Parliamentary Support Group (BPSG), have been provided with huge sums of money to carry out the plot.

“It is clear that President Buhari and the APC are hugely terrified and distressed by the gale of defections from their fold and have resorted to underhand methods, threats and intimidation, irrespective of the damage being inflicted on the polity,” the PDP said.

Last week, 14 senators defected from the ruling APC and the House of Representatives where 37 members also jumped ship.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s inspired African Democratic Congress (ADC) received two senators and four representatives who defected from the APC while others went to the PDP. On Wednesday last week, the governor of Benue state, Samuel Ortom, following the footsteps of the National Assembly members defected from the APC to the PDP with ten of the 18 APC members in the State House of Assembly, 13 of the 24 local government chairmen and 276 councilors.

He now has 22 members of the 30-member house behind him. After Ortom’s defection, Governors Tambuwal of Sokoto state and Abdulahmed Fatah of Kwara state followed suit and joined the opposition party.

Speaking with Saturday Sun on the development, Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof Itse Sagay, said no power can cripple or frustrate President Buhari’s government. The Law Professor, noted the defectors earlier made the ruling party sick, stressing that the Buhari government was going to be stronger now.

His words: “There is nothing much. Everybody is truly going to where he belongs; there are too many odd fellows both in APC and the PDP; too many people who do not belong, who are ideologically different, whose social and moral obligations were different; those who do not care for the country, for the populace, but only care for their pockets and progress.

“They were all mixed up and that created a lot of tension and crises. Those who were indiscipline and totally uncontrollable were in a party headed by Buhari, who is a man of discipline and integrity. The whole thing was a mixture of odd fellows, which sparked off so many crises, so now that they have gone, there is going to be peace and progress and productivity.”

On the perception that the development might cripple the government, he said: “It is not possible to cripple or frustrate Buhari’s government. He was elected until May 29, 2019. Nothing on earth anybody can do about it; he will be in power until that day for certain. So, how are they going to cripple the government?

“When you have a mole; an internal enemy, who is gradually eating inside of your party out and making it sick, finally crawls out because some injection has been given to you, which destroys it or forces it out, I think it is a positive thing. In fact, Buhari’s government is going to be stronger now.”

Asked whether ex-Generals like Obasanjo, IBB, Danjuma, Gusau, are fuelling the crises from behind, Sagay stated: “I don’t know about all those people, but certainly Obasanjo has a hand, and open about it. He is not hiding it that his greatest objective now is to stop Buhari from being re-elected. He has not hidden it. So, he, I can confirm, but the other names, I have no evidence about them on this.”

Sagay however faulted the situation where some lawmakers are trying to impeach the Benue governor. He said: “Obviously it is wrong; it is unconstitutional. I don’t know why people try such a desperate thing. Obasanjo was the one who introduced this into Nigeria.

He did it in Bayelsa, did it in Plateau, did it in Oyo and did it to his good friend, Fayose in Ekiti, until the Supreme Court finally gave a judgement in which they laid down all the principles and procedures involved and that finally deflated the Obasanjo system, by which five people would suspend 19 people and then proceed to try to remove the governor.

“He did it in many states, that is what happened to Ladoja; that is what happened to Dariye. That Obasanjo’s ploy has ended. These people trying to resurrect it are simply not doing any good service to our democracy. The so-called Group or Eight trying to remove Governor Ortom are doing a disservice to this country. It should be firmly discouraged.”

In his reaction, the former Minister of Information, Chief Tony Momoh said a government in a democracy should be based on due process because what drives it (democracy) is the rule of law.

He said: “Our government must follow the constitution. The president swore to abide by the provision of the constitution. So, did all other operators in the system. And anything outside that due process is unconstitutional and unacceptable.

“One thing I know is that the president insists on due process in everything. That is why for instance, you can understand why he did not want to interfere in who becomes the Senate President when he was being pressurized to do so. He said he can work with anybody. The president that I know is a stickler for due process and I do not think the president would even sit down and start discussing how to destabilise the polity. I have been with him since 2003.”

He said however that politicians would use everything they have to ensure that they overcome obstacles adding that “and those things that they have that they use to overcome obstacles are well stipulated in the law. Anything outside it is criminal and should be punished.”

On whether Saraki should resign having left the APC, he added: “Yes he can if he so decides and he can also be removed according to due process.”

He explained: “There are three angles to removing him. A two third majority of the members(109) of the Senate. That is a total of 73 senators is required to remove him. And if that approach is not possible, he can resign on his own. He can also be removed through a provision in the constitution that says that if you leave your party, then you lose your seat. If the APC says this man left the party and according to the provision of the constitution, and so loses his seat and if he loses his seat, he cannot be senate president. So, he loses his seat if the party goes to court to say that Saraki left without the party being factionalised. So, he can lose his seat as a senator, resigning or him being impeached.”

Speaking on behalf of other APC senators, Senator Abu Ibrahim, who represents Katsina South, said Saraki’s continuous stay in office was slowing down activities of the APC led Federal Government and as such should be removed.

Ibrahim said: “I think it is commendable that he has left the party. He has chosen the path of survival because it is the issue of political survival not any thing for Nigeria. But next is for him to resign as Senate President because by all conventions all over the world the majority party produces the leadership; Senate President, the majority leader and others.

“Again, let him be gentleman enough and resign as Senate President. If he doesn’t (resign) we will never have peace in that Senate because it is absolutely clear that APC has majority to produce the leadership. I hear the PDP claiming majority but it is crystal clear that APC has majority. We will have more members. We will have elections. We will have the two members. We also have some alliance with APGA. It is clear that APC has majority. APC with majority should produce the leadership in the Senate. 49 cannot produce the leadership. Saraki should go the whole hog and resign as Senate President.”

On the allegation that some senators attempted to break into the Senate chamber on Wednesday to reconvene plenary, he said: “How do you break into the chamber? If we like we can reconvene legally because it is legal for us to reconvene. We don’t need to break into the chamber when we have the number. I will never subscribe to that.

“We can reconvene, the rules are there that if we are up to 30 we can reconvene. Why should we break into the chamber when we can reconvene legally and do what we want to do. It is legal. I don’t see why anybody should contemplate that we can break into the chamber. I don’t know about it and even if I know about it I will say it is unwise. Like I said, the rules are there that if we are 30 we can reconvene and do what we want to do. If the leadership does not ask for peace, it will not get peace. Peace is a function of leadership.

“I have been in the Senate for about four times. I can’t allow anybody to manipulate me. I can’t take it. Nobody was elected as Senate President. We all came here as Senators. So we have equal footing. We gave you leadership. If you fail to give us the right leadership and if majority of us don’t want you any more, you have to leave. Saraki was elected by us. At any time majority of us say he should go he has to go.”

On the effect of the gale of defections hitting the APC, he said: “There are some losses that will give you sleepless night. There are others that will not give you sleepless night. We have made our calculation, I am confident that that we will not lose. For the past two years, Saraki has undermined the government. He has allowed frivolous motions to attack the President and the government. His continued stay as Senate President does not augur well for the APC government.

Somebody in the same party and the same government he has never seen any thing good in the President.”

Asked if it is only change of leadership that will bring peace to the Senate, he said: “How can we 53 allow a renegade to control us? No, we cannot allow that.”

Supremacy show in Sokoto as APC leader Wammako holds mega rally

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Supremacy show in Sokoto as APC leader Wammako holds mega rally

[dropcap]w[/dropcap]ho really controls Sokoto politics: Wammako or Tambuwal?the above picture showed the main roads in traffic gridlocks, as thousands of All Progressives Congress faithful awaited Senator Aliyu Wammako to address a mega rally.

Senator Wammako, a former governor between 2007 and 2015, will arrive from Abuja. He is the de facto leader of the APC in the state and the rally was to explode the impression that incumbent Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal was a major factor.

Tambuwal on Tuesday committed political apostasy by leaving the party, to join the Peoples Democratic Party, in pursuit of a presidential ambition. He left with 18 members of the state legislature and some members of the House of Representatives. But his deputy, the three senators from the state, the party chairman refused to jump ship with him.

Today’s rally is designed to show who really controls Sokoto politics: Wammako or Tambuwal?

I swear I cannot support Atiku for president – Obasanjo

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I swear I cannot support Atiku for president – Obasanjo

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]tiku goes for Obasanjo’s handshake at an event in Abuja. Now Obasanjo says he is not backing Atiku’s bid for president because ‘he knows him too well’ ,Even before he gets a possible PDP nomination for 2019 presidential race, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s bid has already hit some heavy bumps and storms. His former boss, Olusegun Obasanjo said Atiku should never count on him to support his latest bid to actualise his life-long ambition of being elected the president of Nigeria.

In an interview with Premium Times, Obasanjo swore he will never support Atiku and the doctor of theology also invoked God to buttress his position: “How can I be on the same side with Atiku?” Mr Obasanjo asked. “To do what?”“If I support Atiku for anything, God will not forgive me. If I do not know, yes. But once I know, Atiku can never enjoy my support,” he added.

Obasanjo’s pronouncement comes barely two weeks after Mr Abubakar declared his intention to run for president and weeks after a photo-op between him and Obasanjo at an event on China Africa relations, organised by Gusau Institute in Abuja. “I do not have personal grudges with anyone,” Mr Obasanjo said. “If you do not do well for Nigeria, you do not do well for all of us.”

“It is not a question of working with or not working with an individual,” he said. “If you are working for the good of Nigeria, I am working with you. If you are not working for the good of Nigeria it does not matter who you are I am not working with you.”

“Most of you do not understand the way I operate,” Mr Obasanjo said. “And I thought your own paper will understand better.I know Atiku very well. And I have mentioned my position with Atiku. My position has not changed,” he said.

On a personal note, he added, “If my children are getting married, he has sent representatives. If his children are getting married, I have sent representatives. That is social. That is not political.

But “on political ground, my position has not changed. If I support Atiku for a political office other than the one I supported him in the past when I did not know him,” maybe, but not “now that I know him, God will not forgive me.”

Asaba 2018: Team Nigeria Grab 5 Gold Medals on Day 3

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Asaba 2018: Team Nigeria Grab 5 Gold Medals on Day 3

[dropcap]B[/dropcap]lessing Okagbare powers team Nigeria to grab five gold medals after pulling out of the 100m and 200m events, she was on the tracks in the Day 3 of action at the ongoing African Senior Athletics Championships and she made her presence count; helping Nigeria to a gold medal in the 4x100m women’s event.The gold medal-winning quartet for Nigeria had youngster, Joy Udo-Gabriel starting off in grand style before Okagbare took the second leg and handed nicely to Tobiloba Amusan and Rosemary Chukwuma held her own to give Nigeria a precious gold medal ahead of the Ivorian quartet led by Ahuriele Ta Lou.

“We thank God almighty for our team winning the gold, this is a collective effort, we all put in our best to give Nigeria gold and we are happy we delivered,” Okagbare told journalists after the race.
In the men’s 4x100m, Nigeria with a time of 38.74secs settled for second place behind South Africa who so far are dominating the proceedings in Asaba.There was more celebration for Nigeria in the field events with home girl, Ese Brume leaping to gold with 6.83m.In the Women’s Discuss, Onyekwere Chioma got gold with a throw of 58.09m while her compatriot Okoro Chinwe got silver with her throw 57.37m.

Meanwhile, African athletes competing at the 21st African Senior Athletics Championship have expressed delight at the electric atmosphere inside the Stephen Keshi Stadium since the competition began on Wednesday.

As promised by the Local Organsing Committee Chairman, Solomon Ogba there has been a huge turnout of fans at the stadium since Day 1 and the African stars on parade have given thumbs up to the Asaba fans.
Africa’s fastest man at the moment, Akanni Simbine who won the 100m heat event said it was not only a delight to win the gold medal but to also be in Nigeria.

Simbine described Nigeria as a sports-loving country, owing to the level of interest shown by the people since the commencement of the ongoing 2018 Africa Senior Athletics Championship in Asaba, Delta.He said: “If Nigeria can start preparations on time by putting good logistics in place and doing all the necessary things, they can host the rest of the world in athletics. The fans here are wonderful and very cheerful, which is also part of the glamour of major athletics meets in the world. So, if Nigeria can get the other things right, they can host the world,” he suggested.
Caster Semenya who won the gold medal in the 400m Women’s event also hailed the high spirits of Delta state fans that have been thronging the Stephen Keshi stadium in large numbers since Wednesday.

Power: We’re Ready To Quit, If FG Refund Us Our Money -DISCOS

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Power: We’re Ready To Quit, If FG Refund Us Our Money -DISCOS

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he power distribution companies popular known as DISCOs have threatened to quit the business of power distribution if the Nigerian government will refund the investment they had made in the sector saying they are willing to dispose their assets.

The investors who spoke directly instead of sending the spokesperson for the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors, Sunday Oduntan, called on the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola to urgently convene a meeting with investors in the Discos if he truly wanted the sector to make progress.

According to them, they were willing to resell the power assets to the Federal Government or any interested buyer.

The successor companies of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria were privatised on November 1, 2013 and sold to investors that year.

But since the sector was privatised, many electricity consumers have been complaining about poor supply by the Discos, a development that recently led to heated exchanges between Fashola and the firms.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, the investor in Jos Electricity Distribution Company Plc, Tukur Modibbo, stated that the power firms were doing their best but were willing to resell the companies at discounts to whosoever was interested in them.

He said, “You asked me whether we are willing to quit the business. Now, please listen to me and put it down clearly that we bought our distribution company cash down for $82m in 2013; we are willing to take $72m in 24 hours and leave.

“If you have $72m or Fashola can give us $72m, we are giving him $10m discount; if we get that sum, in 24 hours we are out of this business. Please, is there anybody with $72m here? If there is none, please advertise it for me because I’ve given you the price.”

Modibbo advised the minister to call for a meeting of stakeholders in order to avoid a further deterioration of the sector.

He said, “We want the minister to call us and ask us why we are not investing, and to find out why the banks are not willing to fund the distribution companies at all. This is because we are not keeping all the parameters that are supposed to make us a business. We are not there. So, I want you to use your media to tell the minister that we as investors are complaining.

“Tell him that we want to meet him for him to understand why we are not meeting up with the investment that he thinks we ought to do despite the fact that we are doing it to some extent. But we are investing and not making money. However, for us to invest, we need to make money.”

The Chief Operating Officer, Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, John Ayodele, also stated that the Discos would quit without hesitation if they had an opportunity to do so.

He said, “On when we are going to quit the business, the fact is that if you ask all the investors, because I’ve sat with them, if you can refund them their money in five minutes, they will quit in 10 minutes. No investor wants to stay.

“So, if you are ready to refund the money right now, no investor will stay for one minute. The one (Disco) they returned in Yola (to the Federal Government) since 2015, as we speak today, no kobo has been paid to the investor. So, you can imagine the frustration. Let us look at this issue from the business angle, no investor is a Father Christmas.”

The distribution firms also stated that the reports that were presented to investors by the Bureau of Public Enterprises at the time when the power sector was privatised were inaccurate.

According to them, the wrong data presented to the Discos by the BPE during the privatisation process contributed to the difficulties currently being experienced in the performance of virtually all the firms.

The Discos also stated that the various unions in the sector stopped the investors from carrying out due diligence on the power assets prior to privatisation.

Modibbo stated that the power firms had complained to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, adding that this remained a big challenge.

He said, “Most people, including the minister, often say that we knew what we bought and that we walked into it consciously. Yes, but the due diligence that we did was just a mere due diligence in name, because I participated in it. The labour unions were vehemently against the privatisation of the sector.

“So, we had to rely on the records given to us by the BPE. But I can tell you that all of those records were not accurate. They were faulty. There was no technical audit of the assets of the defunct PHCN. There was no financial audit, no external audit of the firms and this was what we met.

“We met what they left behind and we screamed. We complained that we didn’t carry out due diligence and the regulator agreed that we should do independent studies and confirm the actual state of affairs and come back for renegotiation.”

Ayodele also stated that labour unions barred investors from gaining entry into most power plants to ascertain the state of the facilities during the period of privatisation.

He said, “There are issues with the power sector as of the time this privatisation was going on. Those of you who are aware know that there was a big war between the government and labour unions. It was fierce and I know this because I was supervising all the power plants in Nigeria at the time.

“During that period, I dear not take a white investor to a power station. Also, before you entered anywhere, about 30 to 40 people would bully you because of the fear of what the privatisation would bring. So, for that reason, when the World Bank came, we couldn’t do what we call physical due diligence. There is no doubt about that.

“What we did was to get the alternative, which was to know the number of transformers, lines and their lengths and others. Those were the things we got in the data room and I am not sure if this was completely explained to the investors, who were actually supposed to enter the store to know the real situation.”

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