The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has summoned the Chief Executives of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company and Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company to discuss the worsening power supply in their regions.
Additionally, the Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, Sule Ahmed Abdulazeez, has been summoned 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 were asked to attend a meeting with the minister in the coming week to address issues related to the declining electricity supply in their regions and find lasting solutions.
The minister expressed concern despite improved supply from TCN, and he mentioned that the management of other non-performing DISCOs would be queried as reports continued to emerge about situations in their regions.
“These two DISCOs have been summoned due to the worsening power supply situation in their regions despite improved supply from TCN,” the minister stated.
He added that the ministry had been pressuring Generating Companies (GENCOs) to enhance performance, and generation has increased to over 4000MW in recent days.
The minister expressed expectations for improved power supply across the country but acknowledged deliberate refusal by some distribution companies to take up power supply from TCN and instances of power lines damaged by vandals in regions like Abuja, Benin, Port Harcourt, and Ibadan.
The minister emphasized that going forward, the focus would be on all DISCOs to ensure expected performance, and non-performance could lead to severe punishment or license revocation.
The minister directed TCN to commence immediate repair works on the damaged transmission towers and power lines to enhance supply in the affected regions.
The minister, in previous months, conducted supervisory visits to power generating plants, assuring them of government plans to settle outstanding debts owed to power generation and gas supply companies, expecting this to improve generation levels.
He appealed to electricity consumers to exercise patience while efforts were made to turn the situation around.
