Worsening Power Supply: FG to query non-performing DisCos

The Federal Government has said it will query non-performing power distribution companies.

According to the government, this follows the worsening power supply in the country.

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, who summoned the Chief Executives of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), talked tough about the deteriorating electricity supply.

“Wilful non-performance by any DISCO could suffice as a reason for severe punishment or outright license revocation,” Adelabu was quoted as saying in a statement on Saturday by his media aide, Bolaji Tunji.

The statement said Adelabu is to meet with the discos next week, adding that the Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Sule Ahmed Abdulazeez, has also been summoned over the deteriorating power situation.

It said the 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.

“These two DISCOs have been summoned due to the worsening power supply situation in their regions despite improved supply from TCN.

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“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,” it said.

The statement said that despite the shortage of gas, the ministry has 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, PortHarcourt 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 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 had embarked on supervisory visits to some of the power-generating plants in the last few months. He was in the Kainji hydropower 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 hydro power station to the national grid. Presently, only 10MW is being evacuated from the hydropower plant.

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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, the Minister assured these power plants that plans are 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.