Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KEDC), one of Nigeria’s power distribution companies has appointed Dr. Umar Abubakar Hashidu as the new Managing Director.
This is contained in a statement issued by the Head of Corporate Communication of the firm, Abdulazeez Abdullahi, on Monday.
Energy News Africa reports that a brief handover ceremony presided over by Mr. Dafe Okpaneye, the NERC Commissioner for Legal Licensing and Compliance, was conducted at the company’s corporate headquarters in Kaduna.
In a short interaction with staff during the ceremony, Mr. Okpaneye thanked the former MD for the work he had put in the past 18 months to move the company forward.
He charged the newly appointed MD, Dr. Hashidu to harness his talent and resources to take Kaduna Electric to greater heights.
Dr. Hashidu’s appointment followed the exit of Engr. Yusuf Usman Yahaya, the immediate past Managing Director last week.
In his address to the Executive Management Committee members and staff, Dr. Hashidu urged every staff to look in the mirror and challenge themselves to do better.
He stressed his belief in the ability of the management and staff to change the negative narrative about Kaduna Electric to a positive one.
In his farewell remarks, Engr. Yusuf also appreciated all the staff for the support he got during his time and urged everyone to extend the same support to the new helmsman.
Management and staff took turns to welcome the new CEO with a promise of extending their full cooperation to him for the success of Kaduna Electric and wished the former MD the best in his future endeavours.
Before his appointment, Dr. Hashidu was the erstwhile Managing Director of North East Development Commission (NEDC) and also of Yola Electricity Distribution Company.
The newly appointed Managing Director, Dr. Hashidu, will work with special directors who will constitute non-executive directors of the board for governance purposes.
They are Alex A. Okoh (Chairman), Kabir Adamu, Sharfuddeen Zubair Mahmoud, John Ayodele and Rahila Thomas.
The appointment of special directors follows the dissolution of Kaduna Electric Board of Directors by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) over the discos inability to pay N110bn debt owed to the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trade (NBET) and TCN’s Market Operator (MO).
The regulator in an order dated January 1, 2024 and signed by its Chairman and Vice Chairman, Sabusi Garba and Musiliu Oseni, respectively, said the order was also due to the receivership of the company not being able to get a new buyer of the company on time.
