CCETC Was Contractor to Ossiomo Power, Not Partner, Says Igiehon

By Rosemary Okoduwa

The management of Ossiomo Power Company, Ologbo, in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State, has clarified that Jiangsu Communication Clean Energy Technology Co. Ltd (CCETC), a Chinese firm, was never a partner or shareholder in the power company, but was engaged solely as a contractor for the development of its power project.

Managing Director of Ossiomo Power Company, Dr. Uwa Igiehon, made the clarification while responding to questions from journalists in Benin City. He said the relationship between the two companies was strictly that of owner and contractor. He maintained that CCETC had never held shares in Ossiomo Power Company or its project company, Ossiomo Power Company Project Company (COPC), which, he said, is wholly owned by Ossiomo Power.

“CCETC was a contractor to Ossiomo Power Company (COPC), the project company, until it switched off its engines. COPC is 100 per cent owned by Ossiomo Power. There is no direct relationship between Ossiomo Power and CCETC,” he said.

Dr. Igiehon, an international developer, investment banker and process engineer who previously served as Managing Director at Royal Bank of Canada Capital Markets, London, and as Director at NatWest Markets, London, said he founded Ossiomo Power Company and had participated in financing more than US$50 billion worth of energy, oil and gas, mining, metals and infrastructure projects across the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Spain, Russia, Oman and Egypt, among other countries.

He explained that Ossiomo Power is one of the corporate entities operating within the Ossiomo Industrial Park, which acquired the Ologbo property from the late Oba Erediauwa in 2008. According to him, Ossiomo Power was incorporated in 2013 as a special-purpose company for power generation and transmission, while the Ossiomo companies obtained electricity generation, transmission and distribution licences from NERC in 2015.
He further disclosed that Ossiomo Power entered into a Power Purchase Agreement with the Edo State Government in 2017 on a “Willing Buyer-Willing Seller” basis. In 2018, it signed a Joint Venture Agreement with CCETC following the introduction of the Chinese firm by Sinohydro/Power China.

He said Ossiomo Power subsequently commenced 24-hour electricity supply to customers in 2020 and supplied power continuously between 2020 and 2025, before CCETC allegedly switched off its engines, resulting in the suspension of power generation and supply.

Igiehon added that Ossiomo Power resumed supply on September 5, 2025, from its wholly owned IPP2 facility. However, he alleged that on October 5, 2025, CCETC used local thugs to shut down the facility and disconnect it from Ossiomo’s 33KV line, thereby frustrating subsequent efforts to restore generation, transmission and distribution.
Addressing claims that CCETC owns 75 per cent of Ossiomo Power Company, Igiehon described the allegation as “tissues of lies,” stressing that CCETC had never been a shareholder.

He explained that when CCETC sought to join the project in 2017/2018, Ossiomo Power declined to establish a direct ownership relationship with the Chinese firm because of what he described as a lack of trust. He said CCETC was instead expected to contribute US$750,000 in equity and US$53 million in debt capital to COPC, but failed to satisfy the conditions precedent and consequently never became a shareholder.

He added that Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) records confirmed Ossiomo Power as the 100 per cent shareholder of COPC since August 2022.
On the dispute between the companies, Igiehon alleged that CCETC failed to fulfil its contractual obligations, including an agreement to construct a 50MW power plant for COPC. He said CCETC never constructed the plant and that COPC currently does not own any power plant.

He further alleged that CCETC had resorted to force and the use of local thugs to occupy and vandalise Ossiomo Power facilities because it could not independently construct a power plant. He maintained that the operating Ossiomo IPP2 power plant and Ossiomo gas plant have no corporate or contractual relationship with CCETC.

Speaking on the company’s relationship with the Ologbo host community, particularly its corporate social responsibility initiatives, Igiehon said Ossiomo Industrial Park and Ossiomo Power had maintained a cordial relationship with the community from inception, culminating in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Ologbo.

He said Ossiomo Power commenced electricity supply to Ologbo in 2021/2022 after the community had reportedly spent more than six years without electricity following its disconnection by BEDC over alleged non-payment and vandalism.

He also disclosed that Ossiomo Industrial Park contributed more than N182 million to corporate social responsibility initiatives in the Ologbo community in 2025 alone.

Reacting to the position of the Edo State Commissioner for Power, Hon. Paul Usenbor, that Ossiomo Power’s inability to resume operations was caused by an ownership dispute between the company and CCETC, Igiehon rejected the claim, saying there was no ownership tussle.

He maintained that the only outstanding issue was CCETC’s alleged failure to fulfil its conditions precedent, particularly its commitments of US$750,000 in equity and US$53 million in debt capital.
On the suggestion that a court case was preventing the company from restarting operations, he said the stoppage was caused solely by what he described as violent attacks by local thugs allegedly acting at CCETC’s behest. According to him, the commissioner had been briefed on the matter on several occasions and had received copies of relevant documents.

Igiehon urged CCETC and other stakeholders involved in the dispute to act within the law and respect the rule of law, stressing that Nigeria could attract the right calibre of local and international investors only through a stable and lawful business environment.
He restated Ossiomo Power’s commitment to restoring electricity supply to its millions of customers and fulfilling its mandate to deploy its international engineering and financial resources, experience and expertise to the human and infrastructural development of Benin City, Edo State and Nigeria.