FG inaugurates company to take over PHCN functions

The Federal Government on Tuesday inaugurated the management team of the Electricity Management Services Limited, a new company that will take over some non-core professional services of the Power Holding Company, which will soon to be declared defunct.

The Nigerian Electricity Power Sector Reform Act, 2005 provided for the EMS, which has been incorporated as a government-owned limited liability company under the Ministry of Power.

Inaugurating the management of the company in Abuja on Tuesday, the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, said the PHCN would be confirmed defunct in a few weeks after the declaration of the Nigerian electricity transition market.

 He explained that the EMS would take over the responsibilities of some non-core professional and subsidiary services of the PHCN and its successor companies.

Nebo said, “The post privatisation challenges of the rapidly evolving private sector-led power industry cannot be overemphasised, hence the establishment of the EMS as a player in providing sector wide services.

 “The importance of establishing the EMS is, therefore, informed by the need to have a professional and technical agency of government at this crucial stage of the power sector reform to close up the technical gaps, which might have been created.

“It must be able, after today, to provide the needed services to drive, support and sustain the emerging private sector-led electricity industry in Nigeria.”

 The mandate of the company, the minister added, included providing all needed ancillary and support services to the Nigerian electricity supply industry.

These services include engineering laboratory, meter test stations, central stores system as well as testing and certification of major electrical equipment.

Other activities include providing the platform for standardisation in the industry, archiving the power sector data and information management.

Nebo, however, declined to speak on the controversy that followed the failure of the Bureau of Public Enterprises to invite reserve bidder for the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company when the preferred bidder, Interstate, failed to pay the balance of 75 per cent of the bid price before the deadline expired on August 21.

The minister said the privatisation agency was not under his purview, adding that the agency was reporting directly to Vice-President Namadi Sambo, who chairs the National Council on Privatisation.

He, however, said the newly inaugurated EMS would not receive all the subventions it needed to work from the government as it was expected to make profit for its operation and for the national treasury.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Managing Director, EMS, Mr. Peter Ewesor, pledged the loyalty of the management in realising the vision for establishing the company.

“We realise from past experience that the job is challenging and we will brace ourselves for the task with the greatest determination to succeed,” he said.

Ewesor said the management was committed to the vision of the administration to deliver uninterrupted power supply to Nigerians and bring them out of darkness.