Power Minister Talks Tough on Non-performance by DISCOs, Summons AEDC, IBEDC, TCN over Deteriorating Electricity Supply

 
Worried by the deteriorating electricity supply across the country, Minister of Power, Chief 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. Also summoned is the Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Alhaji Sule Ahmed Abdulazeez, over the deteriorating power situation. In a letter signed by the Director, Distribution Services at the Federal Ministry of Power, Engineer B.U. Mustapha, the CEOs of these institutions have been asked to attend a meeting called by the Minister in the coming week to discuss issues concerning the worsening electricity supply in their regions with a view to professing a lasting solution.

A statement by Bolaji Tunji, Special Adviser, Strategic Communications and Media Relations to the Minister, quoted the Minister as saying that management of other non-performing DISCOs would also be queried over non performance as reports continue to filter in on the situation in their regions. “These two DISCOs have been summoned due to the worsening power supply situation in their regions despite improved supply from TCN,”  he said.

 
According to the statement, gas shortages notwithstanding, the Ministry has been putting pressure on the generating companies (GENCOs) to improve performance, and generation has been ramped up to over 4000 MW 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 the Abuja, Benin, Port Harcourt, and Ibadan regions.”

 
Going forward, the Minister said focus would be on all the DISCOs to compel them to meet expectations, while “wilful non-performance by any DISCO could suffice as a reason for severe punishment or outright licence revocation.”.

 
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.

 
It will be recalled that the Minister has embarked on supervisory visits to some of the power generating plants in the last few months. He was at the Kainji hydropower plant, which will soon embark on an expansion plan to boost the existing 560 MW operational capacity. He also visited Benue and Taraba States to assess the infrastructure being constructed to evacuate an additional 30 megawatts from the Kashimbilla hydroelectric power station to the national grid. Presently, only 10 MW is being evacuated from the hydropower plant.
The minister was also at the Olorunshogo and Omotosho thermal plants in Ogun and Ondo States and the Ihvobor and Azura power plants in Edo State, respectively.

 
During the visits, the Minister assured these power plants that plans are underway by the federal government to defray part of the outstanding debts being owed to 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.

 
Signed:
Bolaji Tunji
Special Adviser, Strategic Communication, and Media Relations

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