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How allegations of ghost workers sparked off ‘war’ in EKEDC! *See details
It has emerged that the recent war within the fold of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) Plc top management, was the direct outcome of a sharp disagreement between the electricity distributor and West Power & Gas Ltd (WPG Ltd), its parent company over the allegations of fraud, particularly the existence of ghost-workers.
The crisis had reached a head when Dere Otubu, Chairman of the Board of the company, fired Tinuade Sanda, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD-CEO), citing an alleged directive by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) that all staff of EKEDC, must be sourced from within and nobody should be on secondment.
The letter, dated March 25, and entitled: Implementation of NERC Directive on Seconded Staff, dated March 25 read in part: “We have received a NERC (Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission) directive dated March 21, 2024, which instructed Eko Electricity Distribution Plc inter alia:
“EKDC is hereby directed to ensure that all staff working for the utility are employed by the utility directly, bound by applicable service conditions that are applicable to the employees of the utility and paid through the utilities payroll.
“The Disco is obliged to obey these directives due to the power of NERC as stipulated in the Electricity Act 2023. In compliance with the above directive, all seconded staff from WPG Ltd are being released by Eko Electricity Distribution Plc and returned to WPG Ltd.
“You are hereby relieved of your role, office and position at Eko Electricity Distribution Plc effective immediately and returned to WPG Ltd, your employer.”
Babatunde Lasaki, EKEDC’s, General Manager, Corporate Communications and Strategy, had subsequently released a statement, announcing what he said was the board’s decision to appoint Rekhiat Momoh, Sanda’s replacement, though in acting capacity, a statement which was promptly countered by Babor Egeregor Director/Chairman, Legal and Regulatory Committee of the board, who said that Sanda remained on his job as CEO/MD and that her removal and replacement with Momoh by Otubu, were of no effect, NERC gave no such directive as cited by Otubu.
Latest revelations, however showed that the company’s management had been embroiled in internal crisis over who should deal with the case of internal investigation over the allegation of fraud, particularly that of the ghost-workers within its fold between EKEDC and WPG, before the matter finally blew out in the open.
It is said that following the escalation of the alleged fraud by Sandas, in November, George Etomi, WPG Chairman, had on December 5, fired a letter to one Wole Joseph-Condotti, one of the staff seconded to EKEDC, recalling him from his duty as the Chief Legal Officer (CLO), to enable thorough investigation, which Otubu, the company’s boss asked him to ignore.
Otubu, on the same December 5, 2023, while in countering Etomi’s letter, entitled Letter of recall from your position as Chief Legal Officer (CLO) in Eko Electricity Distribution Company Plc (EKEDP) pending an investigation into alleged misconduct,
wrote: “Dear Wola, I was copied in a letter from the Chairman of WPG dated 5th of Dec 2023 recalling you from the position of Chief Legal Officer to Eko Disco. Kindly disregard this letter in its entirety. Eko Disco will continue with the process of looking into the matter. Eko Disco MD who is copied should note accordingly.
However, Etomi, firing back, expressed “shock” at Otubu’s counter letter, had insisted that the rights to recall and or discipline staff are consequential rights of WPG as the CLO’s employer, stressing that the said letter constituted standard practice in such cases, pending the conclusion of the investigation and determination of the matter.
He wrote: Kindly be aware that the issues that have necessitated the recall are very grievous and nothing whatsoever should be done to condone or cover them up. Without prejudice to whatever action you want to take, WPG will go ahead to conduct a full investigation into the matter and I advise all our nominees on the EKEDC Board not to lend themselves to any cover up. The instruction to recall stands and ignoring it will be at the peril of whoever does so.”
The next day, December 6, 2023, Otubu, returned the “surprise” via his own letter to Etomi, saying: “I’m kindly surprised at your letter as I had spoken to you on why your “letter of Recall” should never have been issued in the first place and was therefore disregarded.
“I had pointed out to you that it was clearly improper for you to “singlehandedly” issue instructions of such significance on behalf of WPG and on a matter that relates to you without wide consultations. Furthermore, these instructions are to officers in a separate company “Eko Disco, with significant government shareholding and its processes, Issuing threats to Eko Disco staff is kindly ill advised and of no value. I would therefore kindly request you to allow us the space to conduct the investigation properly.”
Not wasting time, Etomi fired back in return on the same December 6, 2023, stating: “Let me remind you that when you spoke to me it was more about how this matter can be suppressed and I told you very clearly that I would not stand for that.”
Another mail from Simon Ani to Ernest and Otubu on December 13, 2023 shed more light to the ongoing squabble, after he wrote, his own epistle, part of which read: Ernest you have a good point and I agree with you, but you will also note that George (Etomi) has called for a WPG meeting on the 19th and this matter is already listed on the agenda. And in one of George’s (Etomi) mails, to Dere (Otubu), George has already said he will recuse himself/ But your point was in order.
“Chairman D (Otubu) I’m sorry to say but honestly, I think your mails are ill-advised and inappropriate for two reasons. WPG has written earlier this year to all of us Directors on Eko Board, clarifying that we are there representing WPG’s interest.
“WPG employed all senior management. Wola is one of them. And under the O&M Agreement, WPG has overall supervisory responsibility for Eko. The moment we undermine constitutes authority, we also in the process create room for our own authority to be undermined.”
But Otubu, unrelenting in a mail dates Dec 28, 2023 to Tunji Olowolafe entitled: Terms of reference for investigation committee, wrote: Dear Chairman HR, I refer to the directive of the board for the HR Committee to investigate the allegations made against the CL, Pls find attached the terms of reference.
But Egeregor in a mail same day expressed divergent opinions to the mails on ‘Terms of reference for the investigation committee.
He wrote: Dr-(Chairman Investigation Committee), I feel I should urgently raise my objections on the mail you sent to us which had an email trail from Mr. Dere Otubu highlighting what he (Otubu) referred to as ‘Terms of Reference.’ It might interest you to know that this supposed Terms of Reference emanating from Mr. Otubu is at best, his sole idea and completely at variance with the board resolution asking us to investigate the CLO and the allegations of ghost workers as raised by the MD.
In another mail by Egeregor later the same day, he wrote: Dr. Please deliberating on this extraneous Terms of Reference as singularly and surreptitiously introduced by Mr Otubu who openly admitted to being conflicted will be tantamount to delonerating on falsehood and illegality.”
On January14, 2024, Otubu wrote to Sanda: I acknowledge receipt of your message about the information in Sahara Reporters relating to the petition of ghost workers. Kindly note that as MD, your primary responsibility is to protect the company from attacks such as this. You are kindly instructed to take action and protect the integrity and image of the company, the directors, shareholders and all stakeholders from such attacks.’
Sanda on January 15, 2024 replied to Otubu: “Thank you for your below mail, and trusting this email meets you well. As the MD, I have at all times taken steps to ensure the protection of the company’s integrity and brand, which was why I initiated the ghost workers queries in the first place after I was alerted by a whistleblower within the company and did some investigations.
“There can be no doubt whatever of my understanding of the MD’s role and my consistent defence of the company at all times, whether in crises such as the present matter or in relation to NERC or any other party. I always protect the integrity and image of the company at all times and continue to do so unflinchingly.
“However, it is clear that the staff are anxious to know how the matter will be investigated and decided. This has been their clamour since this matter was escalated to me in November 2023.
“There is a feeling of resentment amongst staff at the way the company handled previous instance of job abandonment for a relatively small amount, yet here, a senior officer has been accused on a similar issue, and for such larger sums of money, yet no visible actions. There is a strong and growing perception of injustice and double standards.”
Fuel marketers across Abuja on Wednesday continued to sell Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol, at old prices more than 24 hours after Dangote Petroleum Refinery announced a reduction in its ex-depot price, Vanguard is reporting.
The paper reported that its investigation, showed that major retail outlets were yet to adjust their pump prices despite the N75 per litre reduction announced by the refinery on Monday.
At the retail stations visited in Abuja, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Retail and TotalEnergies dispensed petrol at N1,335 per litre, while AA Rano sold at N1,350 per litre. AYM Shafa and Conoil outlets sold the product at N1,330 per litre.
The development comes amid growing public expectations that the reduction in Dangote Refinery’s gantry price would quickly translate into lower pump prices nationwide.
Explaining the delay, the President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Dr. Billy Gillis-Harry, said retail prices are influenced by several factors beyond refinery gate prices.
Speaking to Channels TV, Gillis-Harry said: “Prices reflecting at the pump are dependent on availability of the product, the other is the cost. The cost of purchasing the product and cost in terms of logistics, and preparing the particular petroleum to be delivered to the people”.
According to him, downward price adjustments often take longer to reach consumers because marketers need to recover the cost of existing stock purchased at higher prices before restocking at lower rates.
When asked why increases in fuel prices are usually reflected immediately while reductions are delayed, Gillis-Harry said the dynamics of supply management play a significant role.
He explained: “It is mainly affected by whether the producer has additional resources or not at the time. Increases in prices are mainly caused by the need to restock. There must be that advantage pushing the price upward to be able to pay for new supplies.”
He further acknowledged that marketers generally seek to exhaust existing inventory before implementing lower prices.
“That’s the basic idea. But in petroleum, a mixture is involved, and loss is taken, though not in a way that affects the capital needed to restock,” he added.
Also speaking on the issue, energy analyst Olabode Sowunmi said fuel pricing in Nigeria is influenced by a combination of domestic supply arrangements and logistics costs, rather than crude oil prices alone.
He noted that although international crude oil prices remain an important factor globally, their impact on local petrol pricing is not always direct.
“Global price of crude oil is a factor internationally and not necessarily in Nigeria,” Sowunmi said.
Explaining that Dangote Refinery operates under arrangements that allow a portion of crude supply to be priced in naira, reducing the direct impact of international market fluctuations on local fuel prices, he said: “So basically the issue will have to be from the point of refinery to where it touches the final person. Logistics costs within the domestic supply chain remain a major determinant of the final pump price paid by consumers.”
Peter Obi, candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has given assignment to Nigerians to put all those aspiring to take up political positions in the country through the grill to ascertain their level of integrity, saying it was required as a sine qua non for the job they seek.
Obi, who has been a subject of discussion in the polity since the allegation of corruption was levied against him by Kenneth Okonkwo, spokesman of his campaign in 2023, over the conduct of the party’s primaries to choose candidates for the 2027 general elections, said the grilling must start with his own person.
A guest in an interview on a podcast with Rufai Oseni, a popular television anchor, the former Governor of Anambra State, stated that it was actually for this reason that he had now sworn to see the litigation he instituted against Okonkwo through.
His take is that the Nollywood actor should use the courtrooms to give all the details of bad behaviour, following his threat to expose him fully, after alleging that he was collecting money from aspirants in the said election for electoral favours.
Hear him: “The issue of taking Kenneth Okonkwo to court wouldn’t have arisen if he had stopped at those allegations. But he claimed he still has more he would expose about me in the future. So, I am very happy to take him to court so that he can expose me publicly, alongside other Nigerians. If any of them has any criminal allegations against me, they should bring them to court.
“Not just Kenneth, everybody should now say those things they know that is bad about me or I did that is wrong because it’s good for the system, it’s good for the society,” Obi said.
“So, if you know that when we were in primary school, this man was cheating or didn’t go to the primary school, didn’t go to secondary school, didn’t do, if you know this man has done something criminal somewhere, this is time to bring it up.”
For the umpteenth time, Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has warned about the dangerous implication of using state institutions, particularly the judiciary to destroy Nigeria’s democracy, saying it is an ill-wind that blows nobody any good.
Atiku, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), speaking on the heels of Tuesday’s verdict of the Court of Appeal, halting the de-registration order by the Federal High Court, insisted that judicial officers must not lend themselves to any act capable of undermining the nation’s democratic process.
The appellate court had ordered a stay of execution on the order made on Monday by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court Abuja, for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC alongside four other political parties).
A totally scandalised Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja, had taken umbrage, sparing no hard words in upbraiding the lower court judge, stating that his likes were unfit to sit on the bench.
In a unanimous ruling by a three-man panel, the court held that Lifu’s action was “the highest form of judicial impertinence”, stressing that the Supreme Court previously held that a judge who acted in such a manner.
Describing his conduct as the height of judicial rascality, the upper court, stated: “Courts are enjoined to protect their integrity. This Court has supervisory authority over the trial court.
“The decision of the lower court to proceed with the judgment despite the express order of this court is a brazen violation of the hierarchy of the court and the 1999 Constitution.
This court has the duty to invoke its powers in ensuring that its orders are obeyed. The application for a stay of execution is here yet granted. The enforcement of the judgment is stayed.”
Atiku, who hailed the position of the higher court, which restored his hope to be on the ballot as presidential candidate in the 2027 election, also noted the role of INEC as “significant.”
He said: “I welcome the Court of Appeal’s decision to stay the execution of the Federal High Court judgement seeking the deregistration of our great party, the ADC, and four other political parties. It is particularly significant that INEC itself initiated the application for the stay.
“The development reflects growing public concern over judicial contradictions and politically charged rulings within the judiciary. “Any attempt to undermine Nigeria’s hard-won democracy through judicial manipulation is a grave danger to the Republic. If our democracy suffers further injury, history will demand accountability from those entrusted with dispensing justice.
Outside ADC, Lifu’s order, also included: Action Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), similarly slammed for allegedly failing to meet the constitutional requirements for continued registration and participation in elections.
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