The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has summoned the Chief Executives of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) over the worsening power supply in their regions.
The Minister in a statement by his media aide, Bolaji Tunji, also summoned the Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Sule Ahmed Abdulazeez over the deteriorating power situation.
In a letter signed by the Director, Distribution Services at the Federal Ministry of Power, Engr. B.U Mustapha, the CEOs of the institutions were asked to attend a meeting called by the minister in the coming week to discuss issues bordering on worsening electricity supply in their regions with a view to proffering a lasting solution.
One of the summoned DISCOS, the IBEDC was rated the worst performing DISCO in Nigeria by the BPE.
IBEDC franchise areas include Ogun, Oyo, Osun , Kwara States and three local government areas in Kogi State.
The poor performance of the IBEDC has impacted negatively on the social and economic activities in its franchise areas.
This poor power supply is also badly affecting the health of the people in its franchise areas, especially women and children who are being forced to wake up in the dead of the night to pump water for domestic use.
This situation arose hss the IBEDC has for years formed the habit of supply two hours of light in the dead hours of the night.
“These two DISCOs have been summoned due to the worsening power supply situation in their regions despite improved supply from TCN,” he said.
However, the minister also stated that the management of other non-performing DISCOs would be queried as reports continued to filter in on situations in their regions.
According to the statement, the ministry had been putting pressure on the Generating Companies (GENCOs) to improve performance and generation has been ramped up to over 4000MW in recent days.
“So, we expect power supply to have improved across the country, unlike what we are experiencing in some regions, presently.
Findings revealed that some distribution companies were deliberately not taking up power supply from TCN while some power lines were also damaged by vandals in Abuja , Benin, Port Harcourt and Ibadan regions.
“Going forward, the minister said focus would be on all the DISCOs to compel them to expected performance while wilful, non- performance by any DISCO could suffice as a reason for severe punishment or outright license revocation,” the statement said.
The minister has also directed TCN to immediately commence repair works on the damaged transmission towers and power lines in order to improve supply in the affected regions.
Recall that the minister had embarked on supervisory visits to some of the power generating plants in the last few months.
He was in Kainji hydro power plant which will soon embark on an expansion plan to boost the existing 560MW operational capacity.
He also visited Benue and Taraba states to assess the infrastructure being constructed to evacuate an additional 30 megawatts from the Kashimbilla hydo power station to the national grid.
Presently, only 10MW is being evacuated from the hydro power plant.
The minister was also in Olorunshogo and Omotosho thermal plants in Ogun and Ondo states, Ihvobor and Azura power plants in Edo state respectively.
During the visits, he assured these power plants that plans were underway by the federal government to defray part of the outstanding debts being owed the power generation companies and the gas supply companies.
“With this, succour is close to electricity consumers nationwide as we expect this action to improve generation levels across the country.
“He also appealed to electricity consumers to exercise a little patience while the situation is being turned around,” it added. (vitalnewsngr.com)
