29 November 2012, Sweetcrude, Abuja – The Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, Dr. Sam Amadi, reacting to the sudden sack of Mrs Bolanle Onagoruwa as Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, said, in spite of the glitches it will create in the electricity privatisation programme, there is no stopping the sector reforms.
“There is no going back with the power reforms, and Mr. President should have the courage to continue with the process. We at NERC will continue to ensure that the integrity of the market is protected, for the success of the privatisation,” he said.
The Chairman, Technical Committee, NCP, Mr Atedo Peterside, in a test message response, denied having any idea of the DG’s sack, saying, “I am still trying to understand the facts.”
Although Onagoruwa’s sack is linked to the recent award, termination and reaward of contract for the transmission arm of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria to the Canadian firm, Manitoba, Peterside, had earlier denied that it was his Committee that recommended the cancellation of Manitoba Hydro International’s Management Contract to manage the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, for 3 years in the first instance. He said that such allegations were deliberately designed to discredit his committee
Manitoba sources said the company’s chief executive, Mr. Don Priestman, was not in the country, and that he would comment on the development as soon as he returned at the weekend.
