The Federal Government has summoned the Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Sule Abdulazeez, over the poor power supply across the country.
The government also summoned the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company and Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company over the deteriorating power situation in the areas.
The invitations were made by the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, on Saturday, March 2, 2024.
Adelabu, in a letter signed by the Director of Distribution Services at the Federal Ministry of Power, B.U Mustapha, ordered the TCN and the CEOs of the Discos to, in the coming week, attend a meeting on the worsening electricity supply in their regions to proffer a lasting solution.
A statement issued on Saturday by the minister’s Special Adviser, Strategic Communications and Media Relations, Bolaji Tunji, quoted Adelabu as saying that the 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,” the minister.
He added that the minister had been putting pressure on the power-generating companies to improve performance and generation 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,” Adelabu said.
The power supply situation across the country has gone from bad to worse since January 2024.
The situation is partly attributed to the over $1 billion indebtedness to gas producers who provide gas required for running thermal gas-fired power plants.
There have also been a series of vandalism of transmission towers in parts of the country leading to grid disturbance and incessant drop in the transmission of electricity nationwide.