By Stella Odueme
Worried by deteriorating electricity supply across the country, the 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 sommoned is the Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, Alhaji Sule Ahmed Abdulazeez.
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 bothering on worsening electricity supply in their regions with a view to profer a lasting solution.
A statement by Bolaji Tunji, Special Adviser, Strategic Communications and Media Relations to the Minister at the weekend 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 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 shortage notwithstanding, the ministry has been putting pressure on the Generating Companies (GENCOs) to improve performance as generation has been ramped up to over 4000MW in recent days.
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 Kainji hydro power plant that will soon undergo 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 hydo power station to the national grid.
The minister was also in Olorunshogo and Omotosho thermal plants in Ogun and Ondo States, Ihvobor and Azura power plants in Edo state, respectively.
