Federal High Court Has Refused Soughts Ordered By EEDC

    A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has refused an ex-parte order sought by Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) to stop the Bureau of Pub­lic Enterprises (BPE) from transferring the Aba and Ariaria business districts to Aba Power Limited (APL).


The BPE had Au­gust 25, compelled the EEDC to handover the contentious Aba ring-fenced area to APL, saying the business district was not part of the PHCN as­sets sold to the EEDC on October 30, 2013, during the privatisation of the nation’s 11 power distri­bution companies (DIS­COs), Daily Sun reports.

The formal handover had been scheduled for today, September 10, at 11a.m. at the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (NERC) office.

Not satisfied with the development, the distribution company and and Interstate Electrics Limited had gone to court, asking it to stop the handover.

In his ruling, Justice Gabriel Ko­lawole said he was not satisfied with the reasons adduced by EEDC for the orders seeking to stop the handover, Daily Sun reports.

He cautioned the defendants against going ahead with the planned handover of the Aba ring-fenced territory pointing out that any attempts to do so would be treated as an act of disobedience to the orders of the court and they would be sanctioned appropriately.

Kolawole also ordered the federal government and the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) to appear before him on September 22 to show cause why the order sought by the plaintiffs to restrain the defendants from handing over Aba ring-fenced territory to APL should not be granted.

He asked the parties to maintain the status quo, pending the hearing and determination of the case.