By Favour Ifeoluwa & Akinola Ajibade The Federal Government yesterday( Monday) announced the transfer of Regulatory Oversight of the Electricity Market in Imo State to the state electricity regulatory commission, otherwise known as (ISERC). In a statement issued by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Common( NERC), the development is in compliance with the amended Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (CFRN) and the Electricity Act 2023 (Amended), reiterating that all transfers envisaged by this order shall be completed by 31 December 2024. According to the Commission,the transfer Order’s provisions include: “Direct Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) to incorporate a subsidiary (EEDC SubCo) to assume responsibilities for intrastate supply and distribution of electricity in Imo State from EEDC, and that EEDC shall complete the incorporation of EEDC SubCo within 60 days from 27th June 2024. The subcompany shall apply for and obtain licence for the in
By Favour Ajibade
Over 11,000 Nigerians have expressed disapproval over the ways and manners, in which compensation of victims of oil pollution in the Niger Delta region and other issues are been addressed.
According to them, the issues have been delayed for long, a development, which informed their decision to file a compensation claim at the London High Court and to further hold Shell accountable for its actions of on overseas subsidiaries.
Before now, the United Kingdom based Supreme Court had allowed a group of 42,500 Nigerian farmers and fishermen to sue Shell in the English courts after years of oil spills had contaminated land and groundwater.
In the ruling then, it was established that
Shell, one of the world’s biggest energy companies, was responsible because it exercised significant control over its Nigeria subsidiary SPDC.
Not done yet, a UK law firm Leigh Day last Thursday, filed claims on behalf of 11,317 people and 17 institutions including churches and schools from Ogale community in Niger Delta for compensation for loss of livelihoods and damage against Shell.
Leigh said that the claim from Ogale adds to one brought by members of the Bille community in 2015, a development, which brought the total number of villagers seeking compensation from Shell to 13,652.
The claims say oil spills resulting from Shell’s operations in the Niger Delta have destroyed farms, contaminated drinking water and harmed acquatic life.
‘The next stage in the case is for a case management hearing to be set in Spring 2023, ahead of the full trial which is likely to occur the following year,’ Leigh Day said in a statement.
A Shell spokesperson said the majority of spills related to the Ogale and Bille claims were caused by illegal third-party interference, including pipeline sabotage but that SPDC would continue cleaning affected areas.
‘We believe litigation does little to address the real problem in the Niger Delta: oil spills due to crude oil theft, illegal refining and sabotage, with which SPDC is constantly faced and which cause the most environmental damage,’ the spokesperson said.
Oil spills, sometimes due to vandalism or corrosion, are common in the Niger Delta, a vast maze of creeks and mangrove swamps criss-crossed by pipelines and blighted by poverty, pollution, oil-fuelled corruption and violence.
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