The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu has reacted to the controversy surrounding the N8 billion funding allegedly proposed to ‘convince Nigerians to pay their electricity bills.
He.explained that the budgetary proposal was meant for advocacy, education, enlightenment and provision of technology to protect power infrastructure.
Besides, the Minister said that part of the fund would be spent on engaging local security men to protect such assets as well as showing Nigerians why they should protect and take ownership of power infrastructure and other national assets.
A statement in Abuja by the Special Adviser to the Minister on Strategic Communications and Media Relations, Bolaji Tunji, said that the Distribution Companies (Discos) were capable of recovering debts owed them and therefore would not require the minister’s preaching.
He said; “Far from what is being canvassed, the Nigerian government is deeply worried about acts of sabotage that have continued to erode the gains made in the last one and half year in electricity supply to Nigerians.”
“It is important to correct the impression that N8 billion is being proposed for sensitisation on electricity payment. We are all aware that in the last few months, acts of vandalism have continued to throw different parts of the country into darkness.
“Vandals have planted bombs under power towers, carting away power lines and cables, the recent one being the vandalism of underground cables that has thrown many parts of Abuja into darkness. It is therefore important to protect the power infrastructure,” Adelabu said.
The Minister explained that the advocacy would entail sensitisation across the 774 local governments and 36 states and Abuja. It will entail the use of electronic platforms such as radio and television and others.
“It would also require the engagements of the different community stakeholders across the geo-political zones in town hall meetings; engaging local security men to protect such assets. This would also involve the deployment of technology to safeguard these assets,” the Adelabu.
He disclosed that it is currently costing the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) over N9 billion to bring back the transmission towers and lines destroyed by terrorists on the Shiroro-Mando-Kaduna line.
The incident recently threw substantial parts of northern Nigeria into darkness, and up until now, the Nigerian government is yet to complete work on the lines due to the activities of bandits who have continued to stagnate efforts to repair them.
He said; “It is our belief that the advocacy we are proposing should be able to redirect the minds of those who are bent on taking us backward in our effort to provide efficient, effective, and uninterrupted electricity to Nigerians. Only last weekend, almost half of Abuja was thrown into darkness as a result of the activities of the vandals.
“The history of vandalism of the nation’s power infrastructure is legendary. However, in recent years, it has escalated and in the past year, it has continued to increase at an alarming rate. We have suffered sustained and more violent attacks on our infrastructure.”
“For over two weeks last year, almost the entire northern part of the country was thrown into darkness, as bandits and terrorists, not just vandals, attacked our transmission lines and towers on the Shiroro-Mando-Kaduna transmission lines. Dynamites were used to bring down the towers and the lines. This is just one of many of such attacks across the nation.
“We have received support from the nation’s security agencies to address these attacks, but it has not abated. The power ministry does not have a police or an army of its own to secure these infrastructure.
“This informed our decision to seek the National Assembly’s approval to embark on this advocacy to community leaders, stakeholders, our youths, and all Nigerians on the need to take ownership of the power infrastructure located in their areas and communities,” the Minister stated.
On the issue of incessant grid collapse, he said efforts were continuing to tackle the problems, pointing out that over the years, the infrastructure has been neglected and allowed to decay to a state of dilapidation.
“These are being gradually tackled. The Siemens project is one of the ways of tackling this. The pilot stage of the Siemens project was to ensure the installation of 10 power transformers and the mobile substations across the country and so far, is about 95 per cent completion.
“So far, we have installed eight power transformers and five mobile substations in the following States; Okene, Kogi; Amukpe, Delta; Ihovbor, Edo; Apo, Abuja; Maryland, Lagos; Potiskum, Yobe; Ajah, Lagos; Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi; Jebba, Niger; Kwanar-dangora, Kano; UI, Oyo; Sapade, Ogun.
“The second phase will see the construction of 14 brown field substations and 20 greenfield substations. Agreement has been signed for the construction of five substations starting in Q1, already. This will further strengthen the grid capacity and reduce instances of grid collapse,” Adelabu said.
The statement clarified that when the present administration came on board, the generation stagnated at about 4,000mw, and within that period to date, over 1,000mw had been added to the grid reaching an all time, three-year high of 5,528mw.
THISDAY