Ondo approves power asset deal, faults NERC for overstepping jurisdiction
By Boye Oyeyemi
The Ondo State Government has approved a leasing arrangement between the Ondo State Power Company and the Niger Delta Power Holding Company for the use of key electricity assets within the state.
The approval, conveyed through the Ondo State Electricity Regulatory Bureau, covers the Omotosho 33kV distribution line and a 30km feeder line extending to Fortune University, Igbotako.
The Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Johnson Alabi, disclosed this while addressing journalists after a strategic meeting with top government officials and regulators.
Alabi criticised the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission over what he described as interference in matters within the state’s electricity market.
“The federal regulator is not superior to the state regulator within the state electricity market,” he said.
He explained that following the handover of the assets to the state, regulatory authority now rests solely with the Ondo State Electricity Regulatory Bureau.
“Any attempt by NERC to issue directives on these assets is ultra vires and legally unsustainable,” the commissioner added.
He maintained that the assets now form part of the state’s regulatory asset base, warning that any external interference could distort tariffs and undermine accountability, as the government reaffirmed its commitment to efficient electricity market operations.
