Gunmen kill bank manager, 7 others in Sapele beer parlour attack

IT was a bloody weekend in Sapele, Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State, as gunmen killed a bank manager and seven other persons at a drinking spot, opposite Okotie-Eboh Grammar School, in the
No reason was given for the mindless bloodbath, but a source said, “The killers, who claimed to be unemployed and hungry, were incensed that their victims were busy drinking and eating with their girlfriends, while they (killers) were starving.”

Meanwhile, another version of the incident, claimed that the husband of one of the women, who was killed was the person who hired cultists to invade the beer parlour, alleging that his wife lied to him that she was going to the saloon to make her hair, only to surface at the drinking spot with her lover.

The woman allegedly left two of her children at home and when her husband got wind of her action, he came with cultists, shot dead the wife and people in the beer parlour at the time.

But, Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Charles Muka, told Newsmen when contacted, that only five persons were confirmed dead, while two were rushed to the hospital. He said: “They were drinking and people came and sprayed bullets on them, four died on the spot and another one died later.”
A source told Vanguard that he counted the corpses, saying “There were about 10 persons drinking in Mama Chabula shop that evening when the gunmen came. We don’t know whether they are former militants, cultists or just criminals but they opened fire, seven persons died on the spot while three were rushed to hospital.

“Of the three that were rushed to the hospital was a bank manager and he died today (Sunday). The gunmen did not rob anybody in the store, they just opened fire at those drinking and left after committing the havoc,” the source added.

A Sapele youth leader, who corroborated the police claim, said, “What I heard was that three men and two women were shot in cold blood. One was shot on his legs, the incident happened about 8 pm. We are all confused, there is tension everywhere, nobody seems to know the real reason for the massacre.”
The police do not even know because the people were drinking when they opened fire at them,” he added.

N2bn pension scam: Perm Sec, directors in EFCC net

A Permanent Secretary in the Federal Civil Service has been quizzed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over a fresh N2bn fraud at the Police Pensions Office.

The man, who was arrested alongside seven directors, had served in the Police Pensions Office.

A member of the Pension Task Force told one of Newsmen that the Permanent Secretary’s office was searched and some incriminating documents were found.

The source said, “His office was searched and some documents were found including a fixed deposit of N1bn.”

Spokesman for the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed on the telephone, that a Permanent Secretary and seven directors were arrested over the pensions scam. But he added that they had been given administrative bail.

He, however, refused to disclose the ministry and identity of the Permanent Secretary, saying that “investigations were still ongoing.”

Uwujaren said, “What I can tell you is that we arrested a Permanent Secretary in respect of the ongoing investigations into pensions administration – a permanent secretary and about seven directors.”

A member of the Pensions Reforms Task Team said the development was a fresh discovery.

“Some of the exhibits contained documents containing issues that were raised against (Abdulrasheed) Maina, including the one written by Borno Youths and other falsified documents that were filed against us,” said the Task Force member.

Further, he said the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, all members of the PRTT, were continuing their investigations into the matter.

The Senate Joint Committee on the Investigation into the Administration of the Pensions Scheme, during its one week public hearing, was told of how officials of government falsified documents to siphon pensioners’ money.

FG deregulates electricity •Local govts, communities can now generate, distribute electricity says NERC

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has issued regulations enabling communities and local governments to generate and distribute electricity within their areas. One of the two regulations, titled, “NERC Regulation on Embedded Generation 2012,” and issued on March 7, 2012, permits investors, communities, states and local governments to generate and distribute electricity for their exclusive consumption using facilities of existing electricity distribution companies or independent electricity distribution network operators.

Another regulation, issued on the same day, titled, “NERC Regulation for  Independent Electricity Distribution,” permits communities, local and state governments to invest in electricity distribution networks in areas without access to the grid or distribution network or areas poorly serviced.

Thus, state governments with investments in infrastructure for power generation and distribution can now begin to distribute electricity. Also, according to the new regulations,  states and local governments with enough financial capability, can now take fuller advantage of the regulations to provide adequate power for their constituents.

The Electric Power Sector Reform  Act, which established the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, is the enabling law for the power sector reform. The regulations, according to a statement posted on the website  of NERC,  are products of about six months’ intensive research and stakeholder consultations by employees of the commission. The regulations, the statement  said,   were direct attempts to cater for about 40 per cent of the country’s population without access to electricity. The regulations are also capable of addressing the problem of poor quality of electricity supply.

Signing the two regulations,the Chairman, NERC,  Dr. Sam Amadi, said that they would provide the needed solutions to the shortage in supply of electricity in the country. He said, “These are the most important regulations today in this country because we do not have enough electricity to go round. We also have so many constraints preventing us from having enough to generate, transmit and distribute.

“From now on, the much expected expansion in the electricity supply to the end- users would be easily realisable. With these regulations, we have further unlocked the opportunities in the sector to community, private and government participations. The laws are expected to revolutionise the sector.”

He enthused further that the appropriate tariff to encourage the use of renewable and alternative sources of power generation would soon be put in place by the commission. Amadi commended the efforts of the officials of NERC  that were able to put together such  regulations after due consultation with industry stakeholders. He said that similar efforts in the past would have been contracted out to consultants at a huge cost to the commission.

Meanwhile, Amadi also told Newsmen on the telephone that the new electricity tariff would take effect on June 1. Also, the NERC  had recently  warned electricity distribution companies not to charge their customers rates outside what was approved by it last year before the introduction of the new tariff.

The warning came on the heels of increasing number of petitions and complaints received by the commission that some of the distribution companies were cashing in on the recent media reports over planned increase in the electricity tariff and charging their customers rates other than those approved by the commission.

Reacting to the development, Amadi said, “No tariff increase has been announced. Chief executive officers of distribution companies who collect tariffs beyond what was approved last year are operating in disobedience of the industry’s regulations.” “It is an offence to charge rates outside the approved tariff regime. Any errant distribution company will be made to refund its customers money collected in excess of the approved tariffs,” Amadi added.

He said that NERC would not spare any chief executive officer of errant electricity distribution company as applicable sanctions stipulated in the Electric Power Sector Reform Act 2005 would be meted out on those acting in defiance of the Act.

The chairman said that the commission was harmonising submissions made in the course of stakeholders consultations held towards the planned tariff regime and that the final figures would be announced through the media, to put both the customers and operators on notice.

The existing tariff regime is the last schedule of Multi Year Tariff Order that was announced last year and will pave way for MYTO II this year. The MYTO is the model used in calculating prices of electricity. It was introduced in 2008 by NERC  to replace the rule of the thumb practice in determining prices of electricity.

The new tariff, taking effect on June I, is part of the many measures being taken by NERC in conjunction with the BPE to ensure a successful privatisation of the power sector.

It has been estimated that the country needs an average of $10bn investments annually in the power sector for it to  realise its  potential. The nation currently generate about 4,000 megawatts against demand in the region of 10,000MW.