Disquiet In NEMSA Over Appointment Of Acting MD

Stakeholders in the power sector have expressed concern over the appointment of Mr Peter Utsuashibel as the acting managing director of the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA).

Mr. Aliyu Tahir, an engineer, last Wednesday handed over to Mr Utsuashibel after completing his four-year tenure, having been appointed on December 31st 2021 to take over from the pioneer managing director of the agency, Mr Peter Ewesor.

But the appointment is seen in the industry as an aberration, as it is against the NEMSA Act 2015 which stipulates that only an electrical engineer must head the agency since the MD is the chief electrical inspector of the Federation.

NEMSA was established by the NEMSA Act 2015, with its functions reinforced and expanded under the Electricity Act 2023, to enforce technical standards, inspect, test, and certify electrical installations and equipment for safety and reliability in Nigeria’s electricity sector.

But Mr Utsuashibel is not an electrical engineer and until his appointment, was the executive director, corporate services directorate of the agency.

“This is an aberration, and it is a wrong-acting appointment because there’s no way he can act as chief electrical inspector of the federation,” says a senior staff at the Federal Ministry of power who spoke to THE WHISTLER in confidence.

He said the pioneer MD and the immediate past MD were all electrical engineers and the current appointment, if not corrected, could erode the gains made by previous managements of the agency.

Tahir, was the General Manager, Technical Standard and Inspectorate Services (TS&IS) in NEMSA before he was appointed MD to replace the pioneer MD, Mr Ewesor, in October 2021.
Mr Ewesor, a foremost electrical engineer, was a director and head of the electrical inspectorate division of the Ministry of Power when he was appointed as pioneer MD of the agency.

A senior staff at NEMSA who did not want his name revealed also told THE WHISTLER that the appointment of Mr Utsuashibel may cause setback for the agency unless “quickly corrected.”