The ownership crisis rocking Ossiomo Power Company, located in Ologbo, Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State, has taken a new twist, with the management declaring that its alleged Chinese partner, Jiangsu Communication Clean Energy Technology Co. Ltd (CCETC), is not a co-owner of the company.
BusinessDay reports that the ownership crisis resulted in the shutdown of the company and prevented the management of Ossiomo from operating the company by the Chinese since September 2025.
The dispute has also led to litigation both at the Edo State High Court sitting in Benin City and the Singapore International Centre for Arbitration.
It would be recalled that a top director of CCETC, who simply gave his name as Mr. W, had alleged that Uwa Igiehon, the managing director of the company, has 25 percent equity shares, which was for the land and licences, while CCETC had 75 percent.
However, speaking with newsmen in Benin City, Uwa Igiehon revealed that the relationship that existed between Ossiomo Power Company and CCETC was that of an owner (Ossiomo) and a contractor (CCETC).
Igiehon insisted that CCETC was a contractor to Ossiomo Power Company (COPC), the project company, until it switched off its engines.
He said the company is 100 percent owned by Ossiomo Power, adding that there is no direct relationship between Ossiomo Power and CCETC.
He described the alleged claim by CCETC that it has 75 percent of the shares of the power company as ’tissues of lies.’
He added that the Ossiomo Power Company is one of the corporate players within the Ossiomo Industrial Park, which acquired the landed property in Ologbo.
Igiehon explained that Ossiomo Power facilities are within the Ossiomo Industrial Park, which comprises the energy, oil and gas, metals, marine and agricultural sectors.
According to him, in 2008, Ossiomo Industrial Park acquired the site in Ologbo from Oba Erediauwa. In 2013, Ossiomo Power was incorporated as a special purpose company for power generation and transmission, and in 2015, NERC granted the company electricity generation, transmission and distribution licences.
‘In 2017, Ossiomo Power executed the Power Purchase Agreement with the Edo State government on a ‘Willing Buyer-Willing Seller’ basis.
‘In 2018, Ossiomo Power signed a Joint Venture Agreement with CCETC following the introduction of CCETC to Ossiomo Power by Sinohydro/Power China, and in 2020, Ossiomo Power commenced 24/7 power supply to its customers.
‘Between the year 2020 and 2025, Ossiomo Power supplied 24/7 electricity to millions of customers around the Benin metropolis before CCETC abruptly and violently switched off its engines, thereby stopping power production and supply.
‘But on September 5, 2025, Ossiomo Power started power supply from Ossiomo’s 100 percent-owned IPP2. Again, on October 5, 2025, CCETC used local thugs to shut down Ossiomo IPP2 and disconnected it from Ossiomo’s 33KV line.
‘Since then, our efforts to restart generation, transmission and distribution of power to our customers have been thwarted by the CCETC and its paid local thugs,’ he said.
The managing director of the company further added that CCETC has never owned any shares in the power company, stating that in 2017/2018, CCETC applied to join the project, but Ossiomo Power refused to have a direct relationship with CCETC because of lack of trust.
He further stated that the Chinese firm was supposed to contribute USD750,000 and USD53 million in equity and debt capital to the project company (COPC), but alleged that, true to the management’s suspicion, CCETC failed to meet its conditions precedent, which excluded it from being a shareholder of the company.
‘The documentation at the CAC duly confirmed Ossiomo Power as the 100 percent shareholder of COPC since August 2022.
‘The issue is that CCETC failed to fulfil its obligations and breached all the agreements. CCETC was supposed to construct a 50MW power plant for COPC, but it never constructed any power plant and, as of today, COPC does not own any power plant.
‘It’s because CCETC is aware it cannot construct a power plant of its own that they are using force to occupy Ossiomo Power facilities and using thugs to attack and vandalise our facilities,’ he alleged.
Igiehon, who also spoke on the company’s relationship with its Ologbo host community, described the relationship as cordial.
He said the relationship resulted in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the community, stressing that the MoU led to the supply of free electricity to the residents from 2021/2022 after more than six years of being in total darkness.
He said the darkness was occasioned by the disconnection of power supply by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) over alleged non-payment of bills and vandalism.
He also added that in 2025 alone, Ossiomo Industrial Park contributed over N182 million as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to the Ologbo community.