Nigeria: IBEDC, Oyo State Gov’t Agree To Resolve Impasse

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The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company Plc (IBEDC) and Oyo State Government have resolved to settle their differences and work together in the interest of the public.

The power distribution company announced earlier this week of disconnecting power supply to Oyo State Government over N450 million debt.

The IBEDC’s angered Oyo State Government and, therefore, sealed the offices of IBEDC in protest against their action.

In a statement issued and signed by Barr. Temilolu Ashamu, Commissioner for Energy & Mineral Resources, Oyo State, and Engr. John Ayodele, Chief Operating Officer, IBEDC, said this is to notify the general public that the Oyo State Government and Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) Plc have resolved and agreed to work together in the interest of the public.

“The general public is hereby assured of restoration of electricity supply as soon as possible while the two parties shall continue amicable resolution of the issues in the interest of the public, including working together to make electricity meters available for residents of the state,” a statement copied to energynewsafrica.com said.

Nigeria: Privatization Of Power Sector Not A Failure—IBEDC COO
     

Make Way For The French Nuclear Power Renaissance

French President Emmanuel Macron has called for 13 new nuclear reactors in what he called a “renaissance” of the country’s nuclear power industry. France, like its European peers have ambitious plans to move away from fossil fuels. For some, it means an aggressive plan to shift away from natural gas and crude oil and toward wind, solar, geothermal, or hydrogen. For other European countries, it includes a robust nuclear power program. In the coming years, France will “need to produce a lot more electricity,” Macron said in a speech on Thursday at a turbine plant. Macron’s plan calls for an order of six new-generation ERP2 reactors (European Pressurised Reactor), and an order for a study of eight additional reactors. “What we have to build today is the renaissance of the French nuclear industry because it’s the right moment, because it’s the right thing for our nation, because everything is in place,” Macron said. Nuclear power—and its green label—has caused dissension among European countries. France, a nuclear energy powerhouse, has pushed hard in recent weeks to include nuclear power in its plans to reduce carbon emissions. Germany, for one, has openly chastised the European Commission for its decision to classify nuclear investments as climate-friendly. Nuclear power has been labeled as a transitional green energy source.
Nigeria: Power Minister Inaugurates Working Group To Monitor Electricity Supply
Germany has plans to shutter all of its nuclear plants by 2022. But Macron sees nuclear power as critical to moving away from dirtier fossil fuels—in fact, he sees it as the only way to ensure a smooth energy transition. But Macron’s nuclear energy plans hinges on him winning the upcoming election, which will be held April 10 – April 24. Along with his plans for more nuclear energy, Macron also announced plans for massive investments in renewable energy. His renewable plans call for 50 offshore wind parks in France, which currently has none, and double the onshore solar capacity.     Source:Oilprice.com        

Equatorial Guinea’s Mines And Hydrocarbon Minister To Drive Strong Investment Narrative At The Namibia International Energy Conference 2022

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The Minister for Mines and Hydrocarbons, Equatorial Guinea, H.E. Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima, has accepted an invitation from H.E. Tom Alweendo, Minister of Mines and Energy, Namibia, to attend the fourth edition of the Namibia International Energy Conference. Organized by Rich Africa Consultancy, under the patronage of the Ministry of Mines and Energy, the Conference will take place on the 20th-22nd of April 2022 in Windhoek. Under the theme ‘The Energy Mix: Positioning for Investment, Industrialization and Growth,” the Namibia International Energy Conference 2022 will unite regional energy leaders and international financiers for two days of dialogue and networking. Recognized as the country’s official thought leadership event, the conference is committed to driving industry growth and development across the country. With recent sizeable discoveries made by Shell, ongoing drilling campaigns by Reconnaissance Africa, and new explorers demonstrating an interest in Namibia’s high potential oil and gas market, the country is ready to welcome investors into its diverse energy sector. Relying on petroleum imports for a significant portion of its energy supply, the country is focused on establishing domestic supply chains so as to ensure energy security. By accelerating exploration and production, particularly through international oil company (IOC) participation, Namibia is committed to its energy future and will emphasize this at the conference. H.E. Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima will share insights, discuss strategies, and collaboratively work on establishing a competitive oil and gas sector in Namibia. Equatorial Guinea represents an ideal partner on this front, as one of Africa’s top oil and gas destinations, and will be a valuable asset for Namibia as it moves to drive development across the oil and gas sector. Leading a strong delegation of Equatorial Guinean industry leaders and national oil companies to Namibia – all eager to collaborate with local Namibian companies to boost the local industry – H.E. Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima will drive a strong oil and gas narrative at the conference. In addition to promoting local company collaboration, the Minister will emphasize the role of IOCs in driving energy sector growth. Meanwhile, as Namibia pursues the monetization of its oil and gas resources, Equatorial Guinea, as an expert in this area, will be able to share knowledge, expertise and solutions for the development of oil and gas projects such as the Kudu Gas Field, which is estimated to contain 1.3 tcf of gas, and the recent oil discovery by Shell in the offshore Graff-1 Well. Equatorial Guinea has been highly effective, particularly regarding gas monetization and will be able to offer insight into strategies. Accordingly, Equatorial Guinea has emerged as the ideal partner for Namibia, and the Minister will lead a delegation to Namibia to demonstrate this. “Namibia is an exciting market with amazing potential, as one of Africa’s latest countries to announce discoveries, it is incumbent upon us to bond together and share our mistakes, success and experiences. When we learn from each other we can do better. I am honored to have been invited by the Minister, my brother and friend, H.E. Tom Aweendo, and I look forward to joining the oil industry in Namibia to support the country and its oil companies and local companies as they work through this journey,” states H.E. Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima. Namibia’s energy supply largely consists of imported petroleum, hydropower and solar – demonstrating significant expansion potential. Geographically similar to other resource rich basins along the west African coast, the country is likely to contain significant oil and gas deposits as seen in neighboring countries such as Angola. As demand for consistent energy sources increases across the country, Namibia is committed to driving progress within its future oil and gas sector. With approximately 11 billion barrels of oil reserves and over 2.2 tcf of proven gas reserves, Namibia has attracted the attention of a number of IOCs. The most notable include Shell, TotalEnergies, ReconAfrica, and QatarEnergy. These companies have made significant progress within one of Africa’s final frontiers. Notably, Shell recently announced a significant discovery of light oil in the Graff-1 well; ReconAfrica’s drilling campaigns onshore have, so far, revealed a working petroleum system onshore in the Kavango Basin; in December 2021 TotalEnergies commenced drilling on the ultra-deepwater Venus-1X exploration well offshore; and other IOCs have continued with their own exploration campaigns. As more companies enter the Namibian market, all eager to capitalize on the potential of the country’s basins, the Namibia International Energy Conference will be catalytic in driving investment and development.     Source: https://energynewsafrica.com

Ghana: NPA Seeks Police Support To Curb Illegal Fuel Trading In Upper East

Ghana’s petroleum downstream regulator, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) is seeking the support of the police in the Upper East Region to curb illegal fuel trading at the border towns and some fuel stations in the region. The NPA’s Chief Executive, Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid noted that illegal fuel trading in the region such as fuel smuggling at the border towns, selling of adulterated fuels, operating with expired licences and operating without proper safety standards are a major cause of concern to the authority. The Chief Executive, who is leading officials of the authority on five days’ visit to the three Northern regions to inspect petroleum installations, said this when he paid a courtesy call on the Upper East Regional Police Commander, Dr Sayibu Pabi Gariba. Dr Abdul-Hamid said he was worried about how some fuel stations owners and their employees threaten to beat officers of the NPA when their outlets are locked up. “The only thing we are worried about is that when people are in violation of the law, and I mean the fuel stations or according to the standards of NPA, a certain fuel station is not operating with proper safety standards or that their licences have expired or that their product has failed the quality test and when they are locked up, the people forcibly break the seals and continue selling. Sometimes, they threaten to beat our officers should they go and lock up the stations.” In response, Dr Gariba assured the NPA of the support of the Regional Command by providing security through “the various platforms to ensure the Upper East Region is peaceful and safe for the people to go about their mandate without any fear.” He said his command had structured its operations in such a way that the filling stations and strategic storage facilities were safe in the region. “I assure you of the police support that we are here to serve, and we can have a good collaboration with the NPA to curb the future occurrence of such illegalities. We are providing 24-hour security to some filling stations in Bawku because of the security situation there. All the filling stations where we had intelligence could be a target of some attack are being provided with some security,” he emphasised. The visit to the Upper East Regional Police Command was part of the five-day tour of the area by the Chief Executive of NPA to the Northern part of the country to familiarize himself with some petroleum installations in the Upper East, Upper West, Northern, Bono and Ashanti Regions. The Chief Executive and Management of the Authority, on Monday, made the first stop at the Bolgatanga depot of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST). The team was conducted round the facility by Mr Josiah Kwamina Atta, General Manager in charge of Terminal and Transmission at BOST. They also visited the Regional Coordinating Council and Custom Officers at the Paga Border to court their support in dealing with fuel supply and export challenges in the region.
Ghana: NPA Boss Visits BOST Depot, Ghana Gas, Others To Understand Their Operations
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com

Nigeria: IBEDC Disconnects Oyo State Gov’t Over N450 Million Debt

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The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) has raised the alarm over what it described as retaliatory and illegal action of the Oyo State Government over N450 million debt to the company. IBEDC, in a statement, said the state government, on Wednesday 9th February 2022 commenced the sealing of its offices within the state over some suddenly contrived debts labeled revenue bills and personal income without due notification, saying that the issue of revenue bills and personal income arising now is quite suspicious. According to the company’s Chief Operating Officer, Engr. John Ayodele, the state government is owing IBEDC a whopping  consumption outstanding of N450 mllion for over a period of three years, adding that the company, as  part of efforts to get the outstanding debt paid, initiated several engagements through correspondences and physical meetings, but all these efforts yielded no result. “No business in this country can run successfully with such a huge outstanding, the power we distribute to customers must be accounted for and paid for, we have no choice but to disconnect the Oyo State Secretariat, so it is worrisome to see that the government has sealed off our offices with this underhand and arm twisting tactics, instead of paying the debt owed. This was not done in good faith and it would have damaging effect on the business and service delivery to our customers.” Ayodele, however, appealed to the State Governor, Engr.Seyi Makinde to look into the matter in the interest of all concerned as this would further exacerbate the power challenges and pressure on residents and commercial activities within the state. “IBEDC engages in essential services to the public and the effect of this arm twisting tactics can at best be imagined if not quickly arrested.”     Source: https://energynewsafrica.com      

Ghana: Eight Communities In Karaga Connected With Electricity

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Electricity access in the Northern Region of Ghana is growing as more communities in the Karaga constituency have been connected to the national grid. Last Sunday, about eight communities in the Karaga constituency were lit, making them enjoy electricity for the first time. The eight communities were connected to the national grid by the Deputy Minister for Energy, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, who is also the Member of Parliament for the area. The eight communities are Dibli, Dibli Tapala, Bugulgu, Yagbaa, Kanani Nagbani, Gbengbenlik and Tintaranga. https://web.facebook.com/MoAminAdam/posts/475144567508236 Ghana’s electricity extension is currently around 86 per cent and with this latest development, the number of communities without electricity will reduce. In his inaugural address on Thursday, January 7, 2021, Ghana’s President, Nana Akufo-Addo pledged the commitment of his administration that Ghana would attain universal access to electricity by the time his administration leaves office. Commissioning the project, Dr Mohammed Amin expressed joy about the project since it would enhance their socioeconomic conditions. According to him, access to electricity also offers the communities development prospects to trigger rapid job creation and other infrastructural openings for the constituency. “President Akufo-Addo continues to prioritise the needs of our people and we are grateful for his Sterling leadership,” he stressed in a post sighted by energynewsafrica.com on his Facebook wall.
Ghana: Universal Electricity Access And Inter-Linkages With Other SDGs (Article)
  Source: https://energynewsafrica.com

Biden Threatens End Of Nord Stream 2 If Ukraine Situation Escalates

President Joe Biden has issued a threat for the Nord Stream natural gas project if Russia were to invade Ukraine, although he did not elaborate on how such a move would be made. “If Russia invades — that means tanks or troops crossing the border of Ukraine, again, then there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2,” the U.S. President said at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, as quoted  by CNBC. “We will bring an end to it.” In response to a question from a Reuters journalist on how exactly this would be done, Biden declined to elaborate, saying only “We will, I promise you, we’ll be able to do it.” Yet the effect of the declaration may well have been a little spoiled by the statement of the German Chancellor, who did not appear nearly as enthusiastic about punitive action against Nord Stream 2 as his U.S. counterpart. “We have intensively prepared everything to be ready with the necessary sanctions if there is a military aggression against Ukraine,” Scholz said. “It is part of the process that we do not spell out everything in public, because Russia should understand that there might be even more to come.” In response to Reuters’ Andrea Shalal’s question on whether he would “commit to pulling the plug on Nord Stream 2”, Sholtz declined to do so. The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is seen as a key supply channel for Germany, whose gas needs are about to rise further after it closes all of its nuclear power plants and moves ahead with the retirement of its coal power plants. This is the reason Germany is a lot more reluctant than the United States to make threats against the project or, indeed, the Russian state amid the current geopolitical tensions.       Source: Oilprice.com

Nigeria: Three Dead Bodies Recovered From Exploded Oil Vessel, Four Still Missing

Three of the crew onboard the Floating Production Storage Android Offloading (FPSO) facility, belonging to Shebah Exploration & Production Company Limited (SEPCOL) which exploded in Warri, Delta State, have been confirmed dead. The report says three have been found alive while four crew members were still unaccounted for as of Monday, February 7, 2022. The company had earlier indicated that one unidentified body had been noticed floating around the vessel, Trinity Spirit, located at the Ukpokiti field (OML 108). The asset, before it exploded, could process up to 22,000 barrels of oil per day, inject up to 40,000 barrels of water per day and store two million barrels of oil. “The management of Shebah Exploration & Production Company Ltd (SEPCOL) in receivership, announces further developments on the ongoing investigations into the unfortunate explosion and fire that engulfed the FPSO Trinity Spirit at the Ukpokiti Terminal in the early hours of Wednesday, 2nd of February 2022. “Per our previous statement, the fire burnt out completely as of Thursday afternoon, 3rd of February 2022, thus, enabling closer inspection of the vessel. Working with the relevant authorities, stakeholders, and expert organisations, a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) took place on Saturday, 5th February 2022. “We also reported that on Sunday morning, 6th February 2022, NIMASA (Nigerian Maritime Administration & Safety Agency) notified us of a dead body found floating in the vicinity of the FPSO. “We can confirm today that two further dead bodies were discovered on the deck of the vessel in the afternoon of the same Sunday,” the Chief Executive Officer of SEPCOL, Ikemefuna Okafor stated. The company noted that it had made incident reports to the police and relevant authorities to assist in the ongoing investigation, stressing that efforts to establish the identities of the dead bodies were underway. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of all the victims of this unfortunate incident, and we are on hand to provide support to them as required. “Thus far, the potential total number of the crew members accounted for is six, including the three persons who were found alive last week. Our priority remains focused towards establishing the whereabouts, safety and security of the four crew members still missing,” the company stressed. According to the statement, all efforts are now geared towards cleaning up the area to minimise any damage to the environment and in addition to ascertaining the exact cause of the explosion. SEPCOL also commended all the government agencies and the communities, particularly the fishermen, who, it said helped with the initial rescue. “Our crisis management team will continue to monitor developments in the investigations and update all stakeholders with new information accordingly. “We appeal to members of the public to keep away from the area and contact the company with any information that may assist our investigations,” SEPCOL noted.         Source: https://energynewsafrica.com

Vivo Energy Ghana Donates Towards GES ‘My First Day at School’ Programme

Vivo Energy Ghana, the exclusive marketer and distributor of Shell branded fuels and lubricants has donated stationaries, school bags and beverages to the Greater Accra Regional Education Office of the Ghana Educational Service (GES) to support the government’s ‘My First Day at School’ Programme. The donation by Vivo Energy Ghana aligns with the company’s commitment to education and its goal of making a real and lasting impact in the communities in which it operates. My First Day at School is an annual event by the GES at the beginning of each academic year to welcome new entrants into Kindergarten (KG), as well as those who are transitioning to the mainstream school system at Basic One, at the various District and Regional Education Directorates. The items donated included exercise books, pencils, erasers, crayons, school bags, bottles of water, and natural fruit juice which will be distributed to over 1,800 pupils across the Region’s twenty-nine (29) Metros, Municipalities, and Districts. “My First Day at School is a memorable experience for both pupils and parents, and as a company, we are committed to supporting this initiative by the GES. We are happy to do this for the pupils and put some smiles on their faces,” says Mr. Kader Maiga, Managing Director of Vivo Energy Ghana in a press statement copied to energynewsafrica.com. Representatives from the GES, Mr. Charles Arhin, Head of Inspectorate Unit, and Mrs. Suzanne Kennedy, Basic and Early Childhood School Regional Coordinator who received the items on behalf of the Greater Accra Regional Director, conveyed their appreciation to Vivo Energy Ghana for supporting this programme annually and called on other cooperate bodies to support the initiative.  “We would like to express our gratitude to the management and staff of Vivo Energy Ghana for their continuous support over the years and we are confident that this donation will go a long way to support the school children especially new entrants,” they said. Every year, Vivo Energy Ghana supports the Ghana Education Service with school supplies as part of the company’s commitment to promoting Sustainable Development Goal 4, of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.  Management and staff of the company attended this year’s event, which was held at the Vivo Energy Ghana head office in Cantonments. Vivo Energy operates and markets its products in countries across North, West, East and Southern Africa. The Group has a network of over 2,400 service stations in 23 countries operating under the Shell and Engen brands and exports lubricants to a number of other African countries.

 

    Source: https://energynewsafrica.com

Ghana: NPA Embarks On Five-Day Inspection In Northern Regions

The National Petroleum Authority (NPA), led by its Chief Executive Officer, Dr Mustapha  Abdul-Hamid is touring petroleum installations sites in the northern part of Ghana. The CEO and his entourage including the directors of the Authority, on Monday, February 7, 2022, made the first stop at the Bolgatanga depot of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transporation Company (BOST). The team was conducted around the facility by Mr  Josiah Kwamina Atta, General Manager in charge of Terminal and Transmission at BOST. The NPA delegation will also visit the BOST depot in Buipe on Tuesday and make stops at the authority’s regional offices in Upper East, Northern, Upper West, and Bono Regions. The NPA would complete the three-day tour at the BOST Kumasi depot on Friday. The five-day visit will allow the CEO and his team to engage some stakeholders including security agencies in the aforementioned regions.   Source: https://energynewsafrica.com

Ghana: Independent Power Producers Congratulate Acting PURC Executive Secretary

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The Chamber of Independent Power Producers, Ghana, has congratulated the newly appointed Acting Executive Secretary of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC). In a statement signed by Elikplim Kwabla Apetorgbor, CEO of the chamber, it said Dr Ackah’s appointment has come at a time when participants in the electricity market are gradually losing confidence in independence and objectivity of the economic regulator. The chamber said: “We are counting on his level of professionalism, industry exposure and wealth of knowledge to restore trust and confidence in the Independent of the PURC.” The chamber pledged its absolute support and cooperation with him to succeed and to ensure restoration drive.
Ghana: We’re Not Setting Any Agenda; Just Pay Us And Get Cool-IPPs To Gov’t
  Source: https://energynewsafrica.com  

Namibia: Shell Finds Oil In Highly Anticipated Offshore Field

Royal Dutch Shell Plc has made an oil discovery in Namibia, an area where previous explorers have largely failed to find commercial resources. Searching for oil and gas in the waters of the southwest African nation has been compared to the early days of the North Sea, where a number of wells were drilled before any significant discoveries were made. To date, there have been 15 exploratory wells drilled offshore, according to Namibia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy.  “Results from our exploration well are encouraging, establishing the presence of a working petroleum system with light oil. We’ll continue evaluating the data and conduct further exploration activity to determine the extent of the system and how much of the hydrocarbons can be recovered,” a Shell spokesperson said.  The discovery comes at a time when views on fossil fuels are becoming more polarized throughout the continent. While oil producers argue Africa has been a relatively small emitter of greenhouse gas, and that countries deserve to benefit from selling their natural resources, some environmental and community groups have taken action to block new developments. TotalEnergies SE is also drilling a well nearby in Namibian waters. Exploration activity offshore Africa dropped to a single rig in 2020 as the global pandemic took hold. It’s partially recovered, though still around half of what it was before coronavirus spread, according to Baker Hughes data. Shell has a 45% interest in Block 2913A, with Qatar Petroleum holding 45% and the National Petroleum Co. of Namibia with 10%.     Source: https://energynewsafrica.com

Ghana: Dr Ackah Assumes Post As PURC Executive Secretary

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The acting Executive Secretary of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), Dr Ishmael Ackah has assumed the post, energynewsafrica.com confirmed. He assumed the post on Monday, February 7, 2022. Dr Ishmael Ackah replaces Mrs Mami Dufie Ofori who served as the Executive Secretary of PURC from 2017. Before his appointment, Dr Ishmael Ackah, who is an Energy Economist with more than 10 years of experience that spans public service, civil society, private sector and academia, was the regulatory and electricity market expert of the USAID West Africa Energy Programme in Ghana. He is a fellow of the Institute for Economic Affairs Ghana. He previously worked as the head of the Policy Unit at the Africa Centre for Energy Policy. Click on the link below to visit PURC’s website https://www.purc.com.gh/news-det/145678302 Dr Ackah served as the technical advisor on energy and petroleum policies to Ghana’s Minister for Planning for two years. He was the first coordinator of the Local Content Secretariat at the Ghana Energy Commission. He has provided research consultancies for the United Nations University, the African Development Bank, IHS Markit, GOGIG/OPM, Ghana’s National Accreditation Board, the Natural Resource Governance Institute, SNV Ghana among others. He has published about 40 peer-reviewed papers in high impact journals such as the Energy Research and Social Science Journal, Journal of Contemporary African Studies, Energy Efficiency Journal, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, the Extractive and Society Journal, etc. Ishmael holds a PhD in Energy Economics and Policy from the University of Portsmouth, UK and an MSc in Energy Economics and Policy from, University of Surrey, UK. He had his undergraduate studies at the University of Professional Studies in Accra, Ghana. https://web.facebook.com/purcgh/posts/246479011002464   Source: https://energynewsafrica.com

Nigeria Needs Power Theft Register-Adetayo Adegbemle

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Nigeria has been urged to create Energy Theft Register as part of efforts in dealing with the rampant power theft in the country. The Executive Director of PowerUp Nigeria, Adetayo Adegbemle, who made the proposal, believes the initiative would help to minimise electricity theft in Africa’s most populous country. In an opinion piece he shared with energynewafrica.com, Mr Adetayo Adegbemle said the Energy Theft Register should capture the names of offenders, mode/type of energy theft and actions that were taken. “Energy theft is a pandemic to the power sector, with millions in losses recorded every year. “The interesting part of it all is the fact that culprits can be found in every facet and cadres of the society,” he said. Click on the link below to watch a documentary by National Petroleum Authority https://fb.watch/b0JuxPKQC8/ He said the initiative would bring benefit to the power sector, explaining that “An Energy Theft Registry easily points out repeated offender and determines the weight of discipline/fine they receive on repeated offence.” He added that the Energy Theft Registry would limit offenders to some social services and benefits from the community. He said: “For instance, you may not be allowed to hold some position of responsibility in the society, or even contest for elections.”   He continued that the stigma of being on an Energy Theft Registry may deter thievery.    

 

Source: https://energynewsafrica.com