Loan Default: AMCON Takes Over IBEDC

Further to the judgment of the Federal High Court on the 8th of September 2021, the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has announced its takeover of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).

This is following the electricity distribution company’s default in a loan servicing agree­ment executed with Polar­is Bank.

“AMCON has been ap­pointed receiver/manager over all the Assets of In­tegrated Energy Distribu­tion and Marketing Lim­ited as stipulated in the instruments executed in favour of AMCON by vir­tue of the Loan Purchase and Limited Servicing Agreement executed with Polaris Bank Limited dat­ed 30th November 2018 and a Notice of Appointment of the Receiver/Manager dated August 6th, 2021, which was duly stamped by the Commissioner for Stamp Duties”, a statement from AMCON reads.

AMCON further revealed that it has appointed Osayaba Giwa-Osagie to take over the entire undertakings on the IBEDC, including the assets, shares and interests in related companies and entities, and also monies kept in any of the 25 banks in Nigeria.

Investors King gathered that AMCON’s takeover might also not be unconnected to some crisis inside the power company, a development which has reportedly affected its ser­vice delivery to customers.

IBEDC’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Engineer John Ayodele however allayed the fears of the IBEDC staff.

“I hereby wish to inform all staff that there is no cause for alarm. We are assured of job security which entails our position/duties in the company, being entitlements to our salaries and other benefits etc.”, he said.

Investors King recalls that the IBEDC, during a stakeholders’ meeting in May 2021 had disclosed that it secured N4.2billion from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to improve power supply to its numerous customers in Ogun State.

According to Ayodele, the facility would be channelled into building lines to improve power/electricity supply to the communities. He had also revealed that 80 percent of the money collected by IBEDC goes for other services, adding that the company has lost over N3billion in estimated billing.