FG Summons Abuja, Ibadan  Distribution Company Over Power Failure

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has summoned the chief executives of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company and Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company over epileptic  power supply in their regions.

The Government also summoned the Managing Director, Transmission Company of Nigeria, Sule Abdulazeez, over the deteriorating power situation across the country since January this year.

The power supply situation nationwide has gone from bad to worse since the beginning of this year.

By this development, the Minister in a letter signed by the Director, Distribution Services at the Federal Ministry of Power, B.U Mustapha, ordered the CEOs of the Discos and TCN to attend a meeting holding  in the coming week.

They would discuss issues concerning worsening electricity supply in their regions with a view to proffering a lasting solution.

“These two discos have been summoned due to the worsening power supply situation in their regions despite improved supply from TCN,” the power minister stated.

In a statement released  on Saturday by the minister’s Special Adviser, Strategic Communications and Media Relations, Bolaji Tunji, Adelabu said that the 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.

According to the statement, gas shortage notwithstanding, the ministry had been putting pressure on the power generating companies to improve performance and generation had been ramped up to over 4,000 megawatts 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 expect performance while, “wilful non- performance by any disco could suffice as a reason for severe punishment or outright license revocation.”

The minister 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.

RovingNaija Reporters recalls that the minister had embarked on supervisory visits to some of the power generating plants in the last few months.