BPE Enlists Third-party Performance Evaluators for Gencos, Discos
Chineme Okafor
To address the gaps in its 2013 power sector privatisation and get operators of the seven power generation (Gencos) and 11 distribution companies (Discos) live up to expectations, the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) yesterday advanced its plan to recruit independent evaluators to consistently monitor the operations of the Gencos and Discos.
The successful evaluators would sign an initial three-year contract with the BPE, and will always report back to it to enable it advise the government well on the sector.
It also opened the financial bids of investors interested in the privatisation of five brick making companies owned by the Nigerian Mining Corporation (NMC) in Plateau, Kano, Kaduna, and Bornu states.
The BPE stated at the opening of the financial bids submitted by nine companies shortlisted for the next stage of the exercise to pick evaluators for the Discos and Gencos in Abuja that the exercise was initiated to sustain the goals of the power privatisation.
Its Director General, Mr. Alex Okoh, stated that the process to recruit independent assessors for the power firms started in 2015 with over 32 Expressions of Interests (EoIs) received, and from which only nine made it to the next stages and were thus shortlisted for final stage.
Okoh said in his remarks: “This is one of the most critical sectors of our economy and the federal government is desirous of seeing that the privatisation programme brings significant improvement to the sector.
“The Bureau’s role did not end with midwifing the privatisation of the power companies. Our mandate requires us to ensure the success of the privatisation through continuous monitoring of the enterprises for such periods as may be considered necessary and in line with the obligations covenanted in the agreements that the core investors and concessionaires signed with the federal government.
“The critical and complex nature of the power sector requires that BPE seeks the assistance of external consultants with the requisite experience and technical know-how to help put in place robust mechanisms to monitor and manage some of the postprivatisation challenges facing the sector.”
Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered that former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, his then National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuki, appear in court today to give evidence in the trial of former Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh.
Justice Abang gave the order following a subpoena he signed against Jonathan presented before the court by the first defendant.
Metuh and his company, Destra Investments Limited, are standing trial on a seven-count charge of money laundering involving alleged cash transaction of $2million and fraudulent receipt of N400million meant for procurement of arms from the Office of the NSA at a time.
At the last adjournment, the counsel had argued for and against the motion by Dasuki asking the court to set aside its earlier order compelling him to testify in the trial of Metuh.
Abang who disclosed that he received Metuh’s application for a