A leading electrical engineering consultant has advised the judiciary to take punitive action against individuals and groups that deliberately distort news reports on court proceedings to mislead the public and put the electricity sector in crisis.
In a statement today in Lagos, Joseph Enemuo, a former academic and engineer with the Texas Power and Light in Dallas, United States, said that the judicial action “has become necessary to instill discipline in the heads of some elements who want to mess up the Nigerian electricity sector”.
He cited the example of Aba where an Abia State High Court directed Aba Power not to disconnect only three persons for nonpayment of electricity bills until a matter they brought before it over the new Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) tariff for the Aba Ring-fenced Area (RFA) is resolved.
However, some groups sponsored online media reports claiming that “all electricity consumers have been directed not to pay electricity bills henceforth, claiming that this is the directive of the Abia State High Court sitting in Isiala Ngwa, with Justice Enyinnaya Ikpeazu presiding”.
NERC ordered Aba Power, Nigeria’s newest DisCo which services nine of the 19 local government areas in Abia State, to start a new tariff on January 1, 2025, nine months after it directed the other 11 DisCos to increase their tariffs by 230%.
The engineering consultant, who explained that he had spoken to some lawyers, including Charles Torti who was in court when the ruling was given on the issue, explained that three persons led by one Ike Opigwe approached the court over the new tariff on behalf of a group known as the Aba Electricity Consumers Forum but the court declared the group unknown to the law because it is not registered.
“No such body has the right to approach the court in Nigeria, so the court asked the three promoters to complain in their capacities as human beings and not as members of a non-existent group.
“But they have gone about misleading some people with the propaganda that the court has directed Aba electricity users not to pay for light consumed”.
Enemuo explained that the court order did not even ask the three individuals not to pay either the new or old rate.
“The court order is simple and clear enough: that Aba Power should not disconnect Opigwe and his two co-complainants until the matter is heard”, noted the engineer.
“It is a mere ex parte directive that lasts a few days”.
Justice Ikpeazu, according to Engr Eneh, who was also a senior manager with the defunct National Power Authority (NEPA), has to defend the reputation of his court by calling to order the media that publish such misleading news and warn them severely against such behaviour. In fact, the reporters and their sponsors should be made to recant their stories and apologize for the deliberate falsehood.
“Nigeria”, continued the consultant, “ is not a Banana Republic where anyone can wake up in the morning and mischievously start ascribing non-existing orders to the judiciary with impunity– all just to cause confusion in the larger society.
“There must be consequences for intentional bad behaviours”.
