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Aura Energy Ltd takes over JEDC, promises stable electricity

By BusinessNews Staff on November 1, 2013

The Federal Government on Friday handed over the Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC) to Aura Energy Limited, an international electricity company that bought the outfit.

The international electricity company bought JEDC in the power privatisation exercise in the country.

JEDC distributes electricity to Plateau, Benue, Gombe and Bauchi states.

In a brief speech before the formal hand over, the Managing Director of JEDC, Mr Fidelis Obishai, described the development as a landmark feat in the quest for stable electricity.

He said “so many governments had tried to privatise the power sector without success, so we want to commend President Goodluck Jonathan for taking the bull by the horns.’’

He added that the decision to privatise the power outfits was to re-energise the sector and make it effective and urged electricity workers to see the development as a challenge to put in their best toward stable power supply.

Obishai described the sale of the power outfits as a child of necessity, and thanked labour unions for ensuring that the exercise was concluded without labour casualties.

He advised the new owners to focus on training and retraining of workers for easy transition from the public to the private sector.

In his remarks, Alhaji Tukur Modibbo, the Chairman, Aura Energy Limited, expressed happiness that electricity workers had embraced the power reforms, and particularly lauded their cooperation in the sale and take-over processes.

He said “we learnt that PHCN workers are against the sale of the power outfits, but what I have seen here are workers who are ready to ensure its success.
“I want to advise the workers to brace up to work in a suitable environment that will reward merit, excellence and hard work, where promotion will be based on quality, rather than the number of years in service.’’

Modibbo said electricity workers had always endured dangerous environments with so much attacks and harassments by people who had no knowledge of the workers’ modus operandi.

He promised a better working environment for those willing to work.

In his remarks, Gov. Jonah Jang promised to create the right environment for the company to function and asked the new owners to connect the two local governments that had been left out to the national grid.

In his message to the ceremony, Vice President Namadi Sambo said the process took more than five years and expressed happiness that it ended successfully.

Sambo, whose address was read by Dr Folashade Yemi, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, said the power reforms had unbundled the power outfit into 18 companies – six for generation, one for transmission and 11 distribution firms.

“The quest was to improve efficiency, reduce losses, create employment and ensure quality and cost effective electricity to Nigerians,’’ the vice president added. (NAN)

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