The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has approved new energy tariff for the electricity distribution companies (DisCos) in the country.
The commission made this known on Wednesday in a series of publications tagged ‘2016-2018 minor review of the 2015 multi-year tariff order’ (MYTO) for each DisCo.
While there are no fixed rates across all DisCos, the tariffs now range from N4 per kilowatt to N60 for the year 2019 for residential customers across the classes.
According to the documents, the order became effective from July 1, 2019.
The DisCos had cited lack of cost-reflective tariff as its major challenge on the sector, which has also prevented them from investing in their networks.
In 2018, the DisCos claimed they are incurring huge losses as they buy electricity at N80.88 and sell to consumers at N31.50, recording a shortfall of N49.38 per kilowatt.
“The objectives of this Order are to reflect the impact of changes in the Minor Review variables for the period 2016 2018 to determine the cost-reflective tariffs for the relevant years; and to ascertain revenue shortfalls in view of the differential between such tariffs and allowed tariffs in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (“NESI”),” NERC said.
“Determine and recognise the historical (2015 2018) tariff deficits pursuant to the objective of resolving the impairment of the financial records of DisCos arising as a consequence of the deficits.
“This Order has taken into consideration the actual changes in relevant macroeconomic variables and available generation capacity in updating the operating MYTO 2015 Tariff Order for the period January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2018, in line with the provisions of the MYTO Methodology (Amended). Projections were made for macroeconomic variables for the year 2019 and beyond based on best available information.
“The Commission shall make necessary adjustments to reflect actual values at the time of the next minor review that will take effect on 1 January 2020.”
New tariffs for Abuja DisCo
- THECABLE
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the reappointment of Ade Ipaye and Maryam Uwais as deputy chief of staff and special adviser to the president on social investment programme, respectively.
Laolu Akande, senior special assistant to the vice-president on media and publicity, announced this in a statement on Wednesday.
Akande was also reappointed alongside Garba Shehu and Femi Adesina, presidential spokesmen.
Aisha Buhari, the president’s wife, had said the social investment programmes (SIP) being run by Uwais failed in the north.
Uwais had replied the president’s wife, saying she spoke without the knowledge of available records on SIP.
Despite his wife’s complaint, Buhari approved Uwais’ appointment.
Also reappointed are Adeyemi Dipeolu, special adviser to the president on economic matters; Babafemi Ojudu, special adviser to the president on political matters; Jumoke Oduwole, special adviser to the president on ease of doing business.
“Equally, President Buhari has also appointed Mr. Ahmad Rufai Zakari as Special Adviser on Infrastructure, Mr. Obafela Bank-Olemoh, as Senior Special Assistant on Education Interventions, Mr. Louis Odion as Senior Technical Assistant on Print Media, and Mr. Ajuri Ngelale as Senior Special Assistant for Public Affairs in the Presidency,” the statement read.
“All appointees are to serve in the Office of the Vice President. Except for Zakari, Bank-Olemoh, Odion and Ngelale, all the other appointments take retrospective effect from May 29, 2019.”
- THECABLE
The Plateau High Court on Wednesday ordered that a 37-year-old woman, Adeyola Afonja, who allegedly beat her eight-year-old daughter to death for stealing N350, be remanded in prison.
The police charged Afonja, who resides in Etobaba Village, Jos North, with culpable homicide, an offence punishable with death if found guilty, NAN reports.
Justice S.P Gang gave the order after the distraught mother pleaded not guilty to the charge, stating that she only wanted to correct her child.
Justice Gang adjourned the case until Oct. 8 for continuation of hearing and to enable her get legal representation.
The Prosecution Counsel, Insp. Onegbenoise Osho told the court that the accused person used a cable wire to flog her daughter in a bid to correct her after she claimed she stole N350 from her mum.
Osho said that the little girl collapsed during the fatal beating and was rushed to the Plateau State Specialist Hospital were she was confirmed dead on arrival.
The prosecutor added that the mother (accused) immediately informed her husband, Mr Anisuida Felix, who she is separated from about the development.
He said that Felix reported the matter at the Nasarawa Gwom police station.
- DAILY POST
A Non Governmental Organization which focuses on research, policy development and consumer awareness on climate resilience, Clean Tech Hub, says 55 per cent of Nigerians lack access to electricity.
Speaking during a workshop on promoting citizens access to clean energy solution in Nigeria”A Gender Approach” the facilitator, Mr Mark Amaza said that 93 million Nigerians lacked access to electricity.
He said the figure represents 55 per cent of the total number of Nigerians that lacked access to power in the country.
Amaza said that the workshop was organised to increase awareness on the negative impacts of the use of the various sources of dirty energy, socially and mentally.
“The workshop was also organised to create a transition from the use of inefficient energy sources to adoption of clean energy sources.
“We are here in Kano to enlighten people and food vendors to make them tap the abundant energy opportunity which is clean and healthy through INNOVATIONS, solution, support and awareness while on the other hand to help them avoid the risk associated with using dirty fuel,” he said.
According to him, many people still rely on fuelwood for cooking, pushing the rate of health risk and deforestation to alarming level.
According to him, training women, particularly food vendors across the country will drastically reduce the high demand for fuelwood for cooking and other industrial use with its accompanied health risk and smoke related illnesses.
NAN reports that Some of the participants interviewed said that over half of the country’s forests have been cut down, predominantly for fuelwood used in the last 12 years, a development exacerbated by rapid population growth.
- PM NEWS
Inter Milan striker, Romelu Lukaku has disclosed that his former manager, Jose Mourinho, convinced him to join Manchester United instead of Chelsea.
Man United beat Chelsea to the signing of Lukaku in the 2017 summer transfer window, when the then-Everton hit-man seemed poised to return to Stamford Bridge.
But Lukaku has now said that a phone call from Mourinho in New York convinced him to join the Red Devils over the UEFA Europa League champions.
“I was gone, I was going to Chelsea,” the Belgium international said on the LightHarted podcast.
“I was looking for an apartment, an apartment for my mum to stay in close to the practice facility, so I don’t have to drive too far. And then Man U came.
“At Man U everybody was… I felt the trust more, where everybody wanted me to be there and that’s the true story. People say ‘Yeah, my agent (Mino Raiola)’ and stuff like that – my former agent at the time – he did his job, he got the best opportunity for me, but the people wanted me the most and that was Man U. Everybody was wanting me. There was no doubting.
“They came and they told me – I was in New York – I get a phone call from this number and I’m like, ‘Who’s this?’ Pick up, Jose Mourinho. ‘Rom, how are you doing?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, what’s up, boss?’
“‘I’m gonna get you back, we’re gonna pay £75m plus £15m in bonuses (add-ons) by next week, so I expect you in LA. So go and do your s**t in LA and I’ll see you after [in pre-season]’. I felt the dude was lying, like ‘I’ll see you’.
“Then the next thing I know, I wake up and had to go back to Everton on the July 7 and July 6, I wake up in the morning and I see they’ve agreed on the deal, so I’m like, ‘Man! They came in hard!’
“I spoke with Ed Woodward as well, he’s like the GM (general manager), we had a good conversation, we spoke twice, I think – and in that conversation, I could feel his trust. While Chelsea it was the coach. Antonio Conte wanted me bad, like bad bad, he wanted me when he was at Juventus in 2013. We have a really good relationship, we have the same agent. His playing style, he needed me for his team.
“So he showed me an analysis of the game, how he wanted to play, so for him, he won three Italian championships, he did a three-peat before he took the challenge up and one of the three-peats were unbeaten.
“So I was going to Chelsea and then Man U came through and when I felt the trust of everybody at Man U. And the stature and magnitude of the team, I felt like, ‘You know what? It’s too good an opportunity for me, everybody believes in me, it’s a good team, why not?'”
- DAILY POST
Cardinal John Onaiyekan, the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, has accused politicians of praising terrorists and “warwongers” as national heroes.
Onaiyekan said this while lamenting over the attitude of politicians who place personal ambitions above the welfare of Nigerians.
He spoke at the 10th World Assembly of Religions for Peace, in Lindau, Germany, Wednesday.
The clergyman also stated that recent developments in Nigeria and across the world have indicated that people were at a critical cross road.
He said: “Our future can no longer be taken for granted. First, on the political front, it is pertinent to note that even today, many political leaders still eulogize warmongers and terrorists of the past, praised as national heroes and accorded the title ‘Great’.
“Can we imagine what this is saying to the younger generation, dreaming of a peaceful future? But this is not just a matter of past history.
“Even today, are we still not measuring greatness by military prowess, which often translates to economic domination and exploitation of others? Personal ambition must give way to a community of shared well-being of the human family
“In this necessary change of heart, all other stakeholders must be involved— civil society, the business community, the industrial world, professions and the academia, everyone must play its respective role.”
- DAILY POST
The Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, has condemned the allocation of ministries by President Muhammadu Buhari, with nine ministers from the North-West.
Among the six geopolitical zones in the country, the North-west, which consists Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara states, have the highest number of ministers.
The nine cabinet members from the North-west include; Suleiman Adamu (Jigawa State), who was appointed Minister of Water Resources; Zainab Ahmed (Kaduna State), Minister of Finance; Muhammad Mahmood (Kaduna State), Minister of Environment; and Sabo Nanono (Kano State), Minister of Agriculture and Development.
Others are Major General Bashir Salihi Magashi (Kano State), Minister of Defence; Hadi Sirika (Katsina State), Minister of Aviation; Abubakar Malami (Kebbi State), Minister of Justice; Maigarai Dingyadi (Sokoto State), Minister of Police Affairs; and Sadiya Umar Faruk (Zamfara State), Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.
The National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, on Wednesday described the appointments as an act of “sectionalism on the part of the President”.
He said the appointment confirmed the position of critics, who accused Buhari of nepotism.
“That is next level of sectionalism in your face, and incorrigibility.
“There have been complaints about all these things since the first term.
“Now, it has been done in super way. So, that is the next level. Welcome to the next level,” he said.
- DAILY POST
The Nigeria Union, South Africa (NUSA) on Wednesday announced the murder of another Nigerian.
The union’s President, Adetola Olubajo, said that the victim, 46-year-old Obinna Stanley Ayanele, hailed from Uruala, Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State.
He said Ayanele was murdered in cold blood by some criminals in his shop in Krugersdorp, Johannesburg, on Tuesday evening.
The criminals had reportedly attacked Ayanele with the intention of robbing him of his money and wares.
“With deep sorrow in our hearts, the Nigeria Union South Africa regrets to announce the gruesome murder of another Nigerian, the late Stanley Ayanele from Uruala, Ideato North LGA, Imo, aged 46.
“Until his death, he was a small-scale business owner, a stockist of petty goods.
“Ayanele was accosted by some criminals at his shop in Krugersdorp, Johannesburg in the evening of August 20, 2019 with the intention of robbing him of his money and wares.
“In the process, he was murdered in cold blood,’’ Olubajo said in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
He said that according to a witness, three unknown men held him at gunpoint and robbed him of his valuables, including cash.
“He was brutally stabbed severally, and they smashed his head with a hammer thereby leaving him in a pool of his blood to bleed to death,’’ Olubajo quoted the witness as saying.
He added that the murderers were on the verge of carting away the late Obinna’s wares in the shop when community members contacted the South Africa Police Service (SAPS), Krugersdorp Cluster Station.
Olubajo said the SAPS crime team later arrested two of the criminals while the third one escaped. He said a manhunt was immediately constituted.
He noted that the murder weapons were confiscated by the police and the remains of the deceased deposited at a government mortuary.
The union’s president said that a case of murder was immediately opened by the Nigeria Union Ward at the police station and the suspects were charged to court on Wednesday (yesterday).
- DAILY POST
