The federal government has inaugurated an Inter-Ministerial Committee on ground rent and tenement rates for the inherited assets of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).
The Minister of Power, Engr. Sale Mamman at the inauguration last Tuesday, said the eight-member committee was set up after discussions with the ministry and the Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Company (NELMCO), a statement by the ministry’s spokesperson, Etore Thomas said.
He urged the committee members to undertake a holistic review of all matters relating tothe rates’ requests by state and local governments.
Mamman also charged the committee to conceptualise a workable Ground Rent and Tenement Rate settlement strategy for the PHCN assets for onward approval by the minister. It will do this by reviewing related gazettes, circulars, the Land Use Act, NEPA Act 1972, Letters of Exchange and all other documents related to Ground Rent and Tenement Rates demands.
Chairman of the Committee and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Didi Walson- Jack, said the committee would be diligent in discharging the duties.
She expressed optimism that members of the committee have the requisite energy and intellect to cover the enormous mandate.
“I am encouraged by the membership of the committee that we have the skills and experience to cover the wide range of areas of expertise,” she said.
It would be recalled that upon the privatisation of the power sector in 2013, many buildings and other property belonging to the defunct PHCN were transferred as assets and liabilities to the new power agency called NELMCO.
One of such is the Power House housing the ministry and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) in Abuja.
