NERC Gets New Chairman, Commissioners

Leadership / Nigeria: President Muhammadu Buhari has nominated Akintunde Ibitayo Akinwande as the executive chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), reports have said.

Akinwande, a professor in the electrical engineering and computer science department of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), if confirmed, will succeed Sam Amadi whose tenure ended in  December 2015.

Sources said the nomination of Akinwande by Mr President was tactical rejection of the preferred candidate of the minister of Power, Works, Babatunde Fashola, Olasupo Shasore, who was once attorney-general under him as governor of Lagos State.

President Buhari has also reportedly forwarded six names as commissioner nominees to the Senate for confirmation.

They include, Musiliu Olalekan Oseni (South West); Dafe C. Akpeneye (South-South); Okafor Frank Nwoye (South-East); Sanusi Garba (North West); Nathan Rogers Shatti (North East) and Moses Arigu (North Central).