CLOSE-UP: ‘NEPA lawyer’, electricity industry reformer… Here’s Ugbo, new MD of NDPHC

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday appointed Chiedu Ugbo managing director of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC).​

Ugbo is a lawyer who is well-versed in the power industry.

Bolaji Adebiyi, director (press)‎ at the office of the secretary to the government of the federation, announced his appointment in a statement.

He also said that the president appointed two directors in the company.

“His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of a substantive managing director/chief executive officer and two executive directors for the Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited (NDPHC),” he said.

“The new appointees are Joseph Chiedu Ugbo​-​managing director/chief executive officer (He is currently acting in the same capacity); Mallam Babayo Shehu​-​ executive director (finance and administration); Engineer Ife Oyedele​- ​Executive director (engineering and technical services).”

LAWYER, INFRASTRUCTURE REGULATIONS SPECIALIST

Ugbo is a legal practitioner and infrastructure regulations specialist with extensive experience in electricity industry reform and privatisation.

He has bachelor and master’s of law degrees from the University of Lagos and he was admitted to practice law in Nigeria in 1991.

For 15 years, he provided legal advisory services to public sector power entities, including legal support to erstwhile National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) and to the Bureau of Public Enterprises during the privatisation of the 20 successor companies of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

Ugbo was first appointed in acting capacity, in June, when the federal government dissolved the executive management of the company, and directed its managing director and all the executives to immediately hand over to the most senior officer in their respective departments.

FIRST-CLASS ACCOUNTANT

Shehu​, the new​ executive director (finance and administration), has a first-class bachelor of science degree in accounting from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

He is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria.

Shehu began his career with Bauchi State Development Board in 1981. He was in banking from 1987 to 2003 and thereafter joined the federal public service in 2003. Re remained in the service from 2003 to 2014.

ELECTRICAL ENGINEER

Meanwhile, Oyedele, the new executive director (engineering and technical services), of NDPHC, graduated with a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Lagos in 1982.

He is a member of the Nigeria Society of Engineers and Institute of Directors. Between 1982 and 1992, he worked in both the public and private sectors.

He established his own company, Messrs MatcomLimited, in 1992; he was its managing director until this appointment.