President Goodluck Jonathan fires PHCN boss

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday ordered the removal of the managing director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Mr. Akinwumi Bada the market operator, Uzoma Achinanya; and the executive director, human resources of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), Mr Olushoga Muyiwa, for their failure to prevent what the minister of power, Prof. Barth Nnaji, described as "controllable impediment" to supply power to Nigerians.

Announcing the sacking yesterday in Abuja, Nnaji, in an extraordinary meeting held with all chief executives of the transmission, distribution companies and other agencies under the Ministry of Power, said the trio were to proceed on retirement. Mr. Shola Akinniranye was appointed to head the TCN, and Mr. Evarestus Mogbo named the new market operator.

He said the issue of sabotage has to be addressed by the CEOs, noting that there was need for predictability in power supply. "Professional management is required from all CEOs to ensure that things work well. We need to roll our sleeves and get to work to ensure that power supply improves," the minister stated.

Nnaji, who frowned at the decline in power supply over the last three weeks, said the changes became necessary as part of renewed efforts towards achieving adequate and effective power supply in the country.

He, however, noted that while some of the issues are within management's capacity to control, some were caused by nature, which is beyond human control.

Informing that water flow has been a challenge to the operational capacity of Kainji, Jeba and Shiroro power plants, he said "gas supply and transmission management needs to improve. We are not going to allow any controllable impediment to stop the supply of power to Nigerians".

He also stated that there would be an inter-ministerial meeting with the ministry of Petroleum Resources with a view to resolving gas supply-based issues, even as he charged the new appointees to brace up in meeting the energy requirements and avoiding the disruptions in power generation.

A source who confided in LEADERSHIP said the government had to take the hard decision in order to make things right. "Just these past days that the minister was out of the country, the system went down. In fact, the minister was even summoned by the president over the power situation upon his return," the source said.

Leadership

Related stories: President Goodluck Jonathan promises steady power before May 2015

Canada to invest in Nigeria's power sector