By Peter Okore, Umuahia
Stakeholders and participants at a one-day public consultation on draft regulations for the Abia State Electricity Regulatory Authority (ASERA), held in Umuahia, have called for the establishment of a special court with competent jurisdiction to prosecute electricity offenders.
The stakeholders also advocated stronger protection for consumers, improved relationships between service providers and customers, and adequate communication whenever electricity services are disrupted or undergoing maintenance.
They further condemned political interference in the electricity sector, stressing the need for professionalism and independence in electricity market operations to ensure sustainable service delivery.
Participants equally urged operators to make electricity available and affordable to residents while building consumer confidence in the sector.
The public consultation was organised to obtain inputs from electricity consumers and stakeholders on draft regulations expected to guide the operations of ASERA and support the Abia State Government’s objectives in the power sector.
Speaking at the event on Thursday in Umuahia, the Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Ikechukwu Monday, said the administration of Governor Alex Otti remains committed to building a world-class electricity market that serves all categories of residents in the state.
According to him, the consultation reflects the transparency being adopted by the state government in developing the electricity market.
“This event demonstrates the level of transparency we are bringing into the development of the electricity market. One of Governor Alex Otti’s key directives is to build a world-class electricity market that works for our people.
“We are creating a market where everyone is a key player. As they say, the customer is king. The customer is not just a participant but a critical stakeholder,” Monday stated.
The commissioner explained that the consultation was designed to gather feedback from consumers and stakeholders as part of the government’s efforts to provide residents with reliable electricity supply as a catalyst for socio-economic development.
He disclosed that Aba Power and the Geometric Power Group had deployed more than 120,000 meters to households within their operational areas in the last six months, adding that plans were underway to replicate the initiative across other local government areas of the state.
In a keynote address, the Chairman of the Abia State Electricity Advisory Council, Sam Amadi, said the consultation focused on efficient electricity service delivery, consumer confidence, credibility of regulatory decisions, and speedy resolution of complaints.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Chairman of ASERA, Emeka Onyegbule, said the engagement was organised to brainstorm with stakeholders and consumers in developing regulations that would help the authority achieve the state government’s objectives in the power sector.
“We have gathered to exchange ideas and subject our work to public scrutiny regarding what we are doing at the authority and how consumers stand to benefit from our efforts.
“If we remain in our offices and make regulations without the input of critical stakeholders, such regulations may not succeed. This engagement is an incubation room where ideas will be presented, challenged, and refined to produce documents that will help us achieve Governor Alex Otti’s objectives in the power sector,” Onyegbule said.
He noted that the consultation would ultimately produce guiding regulations for operators, service providers, and consumers, while reaffirming ASERA’s commitment to building a transparent, efficient, investor-friendly, and customer-focused electricity market capable of driving economic growth and improved service delivery in Abia State.
Onyegbule further explained that the consultation marked a major milestone in the implementation of the Electricity Act 2023 and the Abia State Electricity Law 2025.
“An amendment at the federal level in 2023 created state electricity markets, while the Abia State Electricity Law 2025 derived its authority from that legislation to establish ASERA and the Abia electricity market.
“Both laws have created the legal framework for sub-national electricity regulation and market development in Abia State,” he stated.
Also speaking, the Lead Consultant on Power at the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Odion Omonfoman, described the establishment of ASERA as a major step forward for the Abia electricity market.
According to him, the long-term success of electricity regulations depends on their ability to withstand public scrutiny and satisfy both consumers and operators.
He said the NGF recognises that the success of a decentralised electricity market relies on fair, commercially viable, and consumer-protective regulations.
Omonfoman commended ASERA for its transparent and proactive implementation of the Electricity Act and the Abia State Electricity Law, noting that the consultation had set a benchmark for transparency, public participation, and inclusive governance in the state’s electricity sector.