IIPELP partners NJI for Judges’ Workshop on Petroleum, Gas and Power
The third annual Judges’ workshop on petroleum, gas and power sectors is set to hold in Abuja on June 19 and 20, 2017 at the National Judicial Institute (NJI).
The event, which is organized by the International Institute for Petroleum, Energy Law and Policy (IIPELP), in collaboration NJI, is tagged ; “Law and the Changing Face of Petroleum, Gas and Power Sectors in Nigeria”.
This, according to Founder of IIPELP and visiting Professor of Energy Law and Policy, Niyi Ayoola-Daniels has become imperative considering series of reforms that the Petroleum, Gas and Power sectors is currently going through.
He disclosed this when he led members of IIPELP advisory board on a courtesy visit to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami SAN, on the programme.
The IIPELP Founder also received the Administrator of National Judicial Institute (NJI), Justice Roseline Bozimo, on familiarization tour of IIPELP facility in Abuja in preparation for the forthcoming workshop.
“The purpose of the workshop is to equip judicial officers and judges with appropriate legal, fiscal and regulatory issues in recent policy decision by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Ministry of Power, the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC),Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Company( NBET), Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN) and Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) as well as other players in the oil and power sectors of Nigeria”, he said.
He added that a lot of reforms are currently ongoing in the Petroleum, Gas and Power sectors, including the recently passed Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) as well as the lingering Gencos payment issue.
According to him, it was important to appreciate the fact that the electricity sector is crucial and can lead to national security issue if the Gencos decide to shut down electricity supply.
“Therefore, on the platform of national security, Government would have to intervene but rather than giving out to Gencos directly, they have to structure it in a syndicated manner through the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company (NBET), so as to come up with an arrangement that will make it look like loan to NBET.
“The essence of training judges on these issues therefore is to get the judiciary understand the dynamics of the Petroleum, Gas and Power value chain in preparedness for adjudicating on legal issues that may require judicial interpretation in these sector.
“It is very important for Judges to have a total view of the entire value chain and inter-connectivity between Gas trading, Bulk purchase of Gas by NBET, Gas Supply and Purchase Agreements (GSPA), Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), Sanctity of Contracts in the Power Sector.
Other topics that will be discussed at the workshop include, Role of CBN in the Petroleum Sector including management of foreign reserves and the exchange rate/challenges for the Oil and Gas industry; CBN intervention in the Power sector: Legal/Regulatory issues and challenges in the Power sector recovery Programme/ Payment Assurance Scheme and Role of NERC within the Power sector.
SEYI ANJORIN, Abuja