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NERC dissolves Kaduna DisCo board over N110bn debt

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The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, on Monday, announced the dissolution of the board of directors of Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company over the DisCo’s inability to pay N110 billion debt owed to the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry.

In a regulatory order dated January 1, 2024 and signed by the Chairman and Vice Chairman of NERC, Sanusi Garba and Musiliu Oseni, respectively, the commission stated that the board of the firm had been dissolved.

Kaduna DisCo is among five DisCos that were taken over by their promoters after the core investors were unable to pay back the borrowed funds used to acquire the company during privatisation in 2013.

In July 2022, the Federal Government announced the planned takeover of Kano, Benin and Kaduna electricity distribution companies by Fidelity Bank Plc after the bank initiated action to take over the boards of the three Discos.

It had also announced through the Bureau of Public Enterprises that with the takeover of Ibadan DisCo by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, the BPE had obtained approval from NERC to appoint an interim managing director for the distressed power firm.

The government had further stated in a restructuring notice issued at the time, that it was restructuring the management and board of Port Harcourt Disco to forestall the imminent insolvency of the utility.

The notice was signed by the Director-General, BPE, Alex Okoh; and Executive Chairman, NERC, Sanusi Garba.

Industry operators stated that since that time, Kaduna DisCo had been facing liquidity challenges, which resulted in the dissolution of its board by NERC as announced by the commission on Monday.

The firm’s Managing Director Yusuf Yahaya, had announced his resignation from the company on Saturday.

In its order released on Monday, the power sector regulator stated that Kaduna Disco owed N110 billion to the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trade and the Market Operator of the Transmission Company of Nigeria from 2015 till date.

It said the receivership, headed by Afrexim bank, had been given 60 days’ notice to state why its licence should not be cancelled with another 30 days given in July last year.

The Commission said the bank requested four to six months to finalise the divestment process and that they could not provide the bank guarantees required to secure KAEDC’s market obligation.

The NERC in its order, therefore stated that the failure of the company to get a new owner to enable it to meet its financial obligations had led to “all directors of KAEDC are hereby removed from office and the board of directors stands dissolved in the exercise of powers vested in the commission by Section 75 of the Electricity Act.”

The commission then appointed Umar Hashidu as the administrator of Kaduna Disco in furtherance to Section 75 of the Electricity Act.

The administrator shall be the de facto Chief Executive Officer of KAEDC and shall be responsible for the management of the day-to-day affairs of the utility pending the finalisation of the sale of the undertaking to a new core investor.

“The administrator shall work with a team of special directors that shall constitute non- executive directors of the board for governance purposes. The following are hereby appointed as special directors for KAEDC; Alex A. Okoh, Chairman; Kabir Adamu, Sharfuddeen Mahmoud, John Ayodele and Rahila Thomas,” the regulator stated in its order.

It noted that the executive management team that shall work with the administrator would be constituted by the commission and announced in due course.

The commission further stated that it shall administer the sale of the undertaking in accordance with the provisions of the Electricity Act on the basis of the highest and best price offered for the undertaking.

This came as Kaduna DisCo announced the resumption of duty of its new CEO, Hashidu.

“Umar Hashidu has taken over the reins as the Chief Executive Officer of Kaduna Electric. He took over from Yusuf Yahaya who exited last week,” the Head, Corporate Communication, Kaduna Disco, Abdulazeez Abdullahi, said in the statement.

Hashidu took over during a brief handover ceremony presided over by Dafe Akpaneye, the NERC Commissioner for Legal Licensing and Compliance, who conducted the ceremony at the company’s corporate headquarters in Kaduna.

Akpaneye thanked the former boss of the firm for the work he put in for 18 months, and charged Hashidu to harness the talent and resources available to him to take Kaduna Electric to greater heights.

Education

Kwara Govt warns against illegal charges for Common Entrance exam

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The Kwara State Government has warned principals of Junior Secondary Schools and head teachers of primary schools across the state against illegal charges for the state placement examination (Common Entrance).

Any violator will face the full wrath of the law, the state Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Hajia Sa’adatu Modibbo Kawu, warned on Tuesday in her office in Ilorin.

She emphasized that the common entrance is free and government will not tolerate anyone or group of people extorting money, under any guise, from the pupils because the examination is fully sponsored by the state government.

Hajia Modibbo Kawu urged the principals and head teachers to desist from all acts that could dent the image of the state government.

She also cautioned them against aiding and abetting examination malpractices, stating that the present administration has zero tolerance for examination malpractices.

The commissioner implored the parents and guardians of the pupils to report any principal or head teacher with suspicious acts to her office directly, reiterating that her office is open to everyone.

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Education

UNILORIN appoints 40 new Professors

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By Saka Laaro, Ilorin

The University of Ilorin has announced the promotion of 40 of its senior academics to the rank of Professor.

The elevation, which was approved by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, SAN, was sequel to the recommendations of the University Appointment and Promotion Committee.

A statement from the Office of the Registrar said that the 40 distinguished scholars were found to have excelled in the realms of teaching, research and community service and subsequently promoted to the highest rank obtainable in the academia.

The breakdown of the beneficiaries of the promotion exercise shows that 11 of the new Professors are produced by the Faculty of Agriculture and they are Prof. Sidiqat A. Aderinoye-Abdulwahab, Prof. L. L. Adefalu,Prof. F. O. Takim and Prof. A. A. Badmos.

Others are Prof. Foluke E. Sola-Ojo, Prof. W. A. Jimoh, Prof. M. I. Abubakar, Prof. T. H. Aliyu, Prof. R. O. Uddin II, Prof. T. O. Amusa and Prof. Mutiat A. Balogun.
From the Faculty of Arts are Prof. K. M. U. Gbodofu, Prof. Y. A. Abdullahi, Prof. Abosede R. O. Babatunde, Prof. Bolanle E. Arokoyo, and Prof. P. U. Nwosu while the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences produced Prof. A. S. Alabi, who teaches at the Department of Anatomy.
Two Lecturers from the Faculty of Clinical Sciences were also elevated to the rank of Professor and they are Prof. T. O. Olanrewaju and Prof. O. A. M. Adesiyun.

The Faculty of Communication & Information Science also produced two new Professors through Prof. Tinuke O. Oladele and Prof. Saudat S. Abdulbaqi while those promoted from the Faculty of Education are Prof. O. O. Okoji, Prof. Folakemi O. Adeniyi-Egbeola and Prof. Florence O. Daramola

From the Faculty of Engineering and Technology are Prof. A. T. Ajiboye, Prof. A. Y. Abdulrahman, Prof. M. O. Sumonu, Prof. Rasheedat M. Mahamood and Prof. T. K. Ajiboye.

The Faculty of Law produced one new Professor in the person of Prof. A. C. Onuora-Oguno.
The Faculty of Life Sciences produced four new professors. They are Prof. M. O. Nafiu, Prof. Faoziyat A. Sulaiman, Prof. Risikat Nike Ahmed, and Prof. I. O. Sule.

Those promoted from the Faculty of Management Sciences are Prof. M. A. Ajayi and Prof. Rihanat I. Abdulkadir as the Faculty of Physical Sciences also produced two new professors through Prof. Haleemat I. Adegoke and Prof. O. A. Abidoye.

The promotion of Prof. Monisola A. Tunde of the Department of Geography and Environmental Management was also confirmed while the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine also produced one of the new Professors in the person of Prof. Z. Jaji from the Department of Veterinary Anatomy.

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Education

Student Union election turns deadly: One student flees for life, parents killed in tragic attack 

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In the quiet town of Ekiadolor, the College of Education became a battleground as student politics turned deadly. Odunuga Gbenga, a promising student, found himself thrust into the chaos of campus conflict.

It all began innocently enough when Gbenga was nominated as a contestant for the Student Union presidency. Little did he know that this simple act would plunge him into a nightmare.

During the election, tensions ran high as rival factions clashed violently. What was supposed to be a democratic process spiraled into chaos, with reports of killings, rapes, and riots echoing across the school grounds.

In fear for his life, Gbenga fled the campus, seeking refuge in the familiar embrace of his parents’ home in Edo State. But safety eluded him as darkness fell on that fateful night.

Under the cover of midnight, a group of assailants descended upon Gbenga’s home, shattering the peace of the night. In a desperate bid for survival, Gbenga fought bravely, but the odds were against him.

Tragically, Gbenga’s valiant efforts were in vain. Though he managed to escape, his beloved parents were not as fortunate. The attackers, driven by unknown motives, mercilessly took the lives of Mr. Samuel Odunuga and Mrs. Taiwo Odunuga, leaving a family shattered and a community reeling in shock.

Since that harrowing night in 2023, the search for Gbenga has consumed the hearts and minds of his grieving family. Their plea echoes through the pages of this newspaper, a desperate cry for justice and closure in the face of unspeakable tragedy.

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