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An Imo-based public commentator and academician, Prof. Onwueri Longinus, has cautioned the Imo State Government over its recent allegation that the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) is planning major power outages to sabotage the ongoing Light Up Imo project.
The allegation was contained in a press statement signed by the Commissioner for Information, Public Orientation and Strategy, Declan Emelumba.
According to the statement, the state government claimed that EEDC was plotting to disrupt electricity supply across Imo and subsequently blame the supposed outages on Orashi Electricity Company Ltd, the new state-backed power outfit.
Reacting to this claim in a statement on Tuesday, Prof. Longinus, described the claim uncalled for, he then ask for the evidence to support the such an allegation.
He asked whether the government was in possession of internal memos, e-mails or documented plans showing that EEDC intended to sabotage power supply in the state, wondering why EEDC would risk its reputation and revenue by deliberately triggering power outages across Imo.
The professor said the announcement appeared more like a preemptive attempt to justify possible failures of Orashi Electricity Company Ltd than a genuine security alert.
Longinus alleged the state government of concealing the true structure and ownership of Orashi Electricity Company Ltd, which was incorporated on May 28, 2024.
He argued that the government’s minority stake contradicted its claim that the company belongs to “Imo people,” calling the arrangement “a complete fraud of the century.”
He questioned why a company less than three months old was granted an interim operating licence by the Imo State Electricity Regulatory Commission (ISERC) barely weeks after ISERC itself was established.
Longinus further alleged that Orashi Electricity Company Ltd lacked the technical competence and operational infrastructure required for a state-wide electricity distribution mandate.
He claimed that some of the individuals being positioned as directors or owners were “faceless,” adding that industry insiders had linked the company’s staffing to politically selected loyalists without electrical training.
The professor also raised concerns about the procurement process that led to the company’s emergence, questioning whether there was any open bidding, technical evaluation, or public call for expressions of interest.
“If the government holds only 5%, yet funds and promotes the company as a public-owned utility, then state resources may be sustaining a private venture,” he wrote.
It was gathered that Imo State established its electricity regulatory commission (ISERC) in June 2024 following the adoption of the Electricity Act 2023, which permits states to generate and regulate power markets independently.
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) officially handed over regulatory authority to ISERC on June 22, 2024, stating that full operations would begin on July 1.
Prof. Longinus concluded that the allegations against EEDC were an attempt to divert attention from deeper issues surrounding the Orashi Electricity Company Ltd, insisting that Imo people deserved transparency.
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