Disquiet at NERC over retirement of three pioneer managers

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has asked three of its pioneer general managers to proceed on terminal leave from November 20.

The affected directors are Mustapha Bukar, general manager for finance and management services; Anthony Akah (pictured), general manager of consumer affairs and head of division of consumer affairs, and Olufunke Dinneh, general manager of legal and licences.

The affected general managers, said to be the most senior directors in the seven divisions, were retired having spent eight years working at the commission.

According to inside sources, this has caused controversy in the commission and among power stakeholders as the three general managers are said to be in their 50s and have not reached retirement age.

But NERC was said to have relied on its staff handbook, which mandates the directors to take a bow after eight years tenure.

Mike Faloseyi, assistant general manager at the public affairs unit of NERC,  told TheCable that there is no shake-up at the commission, while he promised to get back with more details on the development but had not fulfilled his promise at the time of filing this report.

NERC was created in 2005 through the Electric Power Sector Reform Act of 2005 as an independent regulatory body with authority for the regulation of the electricity industry in the country Nigeria.