Ibadan electricity sacks Achife, MD, names a stand-in

The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company’s Board of Directors has removed Mr. Kingsley Achife from his position as managing director.

The IBEDC’s acting managing director, Francis Agoha, was appointed by the board on May 31 after it declined to extend Achife’s term.

Our correspondent saw a copy of an internal memo dated May 31 that contained information about Achife’s bag.

“Dear colleagues, the Board of Directors of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company wishes to inform the staff that it has decided not to renew the contract of the current Managing Director, Engineer Kingsley Achife.

“The Board expresses its deepest gratitude to Engineer Kingsley Achife for his contributions to the company and for laying the foundation for the ongoing turnaround.

“In light of this decision, the Board is pleased to announce the appointment of the most senior executive, Engineer Francis Agoha as the Acting Managing Director of IBEDC. Engineer Francis Agoha will assume leadership responsibilities with immediate effect and will work closely with the Board to ensure a smooth transition,” the memo read in part.

The IBEDC board declared that it is still dedicated to providing its stakeholders and clients with dependable electrical services.

“We are confident that this change in leadership will accelerate our journey towards sustainable growth, improved performance and a successful transition,” the memo from the management added.

The board’s decision was made without a stated rationale, but it might not have been unrelated to complaints from the Disco’s peers regarding their performances.

Adebayo Adelabu, the Minister of Power, called a critical meeting in March that included the departing managing director of the IBEDC among others.

In spite of the ministry’s best efforts, according to Adelabu, some distribution companies—like the IBEDC—were unable to fairly distribute the power that was provided, and in places like Abuja, Benin, Port Harcourt, and Ibadan, the issue is made worse by vandalism of the power infrastructure.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission issued an order in February 2024 regarding non-compliance with projected billing, which included a fine. On Thursday, Achife led the IBEDC to hold a defense hearing against the said sanction.

Achife declared throughout the court that he was against overcharging clients and that he was taking notes during the defence session.

But according to Musiliu Oseni, the vice chairman of NERC and head of the hearing panel, NERC only agreed to grant IBEDC’s request for the hearing since the appeal was submitted after the sixty-day window for submitting an appeal against any regulatory decision.

He stated that a resolution will be reached by the NERC and IBEDC team working together.

Busolami Tunwase, the IBEDC representative, declined to provide specifics but indicated a statement would be published later.