*Power restored to some towns liberated from Boko Haram
Oscarline Onwuemenyi
19 September 2015, Sweetcrude, Abuja – The Chief of Army Staff, (COAS), Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, has promised to mount round the clock watches to ensure protection of power assets across the country.
Buratai, who stated this during a meeting with representatives of Electricity Distributing Companies (Discos), Generating Companies (Gencos) and the Transmission Companies of Nigeria (TCN), in Abuja, further assured them of safety of critical power infrastructure in the country.
Represented by the Chief of Training and Operations Nigerian Army Headquarters at the meeting, General Buratai said it is the constitutional duty of Army to provide security when national assets are under high level threats as has been the case in the wake of insurgent activities in the north east.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Ambassador Godknows Igali attended the meeting along key electricity stakeholders namely the Discos, Gencos, TCN, Market Operator, NELMCO and NEMSA.
Buratai said that with the military high command, all issues pertaining to deployment of troops, logistic support and operational reviews, since the period preceding the hand-over of assets to private companies have been thoroughly examined.
Ambassador Godknows Igali commended Nigerian troop’s effort in securing national assets and challenged the Army to prevail on their officers and men on the field to sustain safety for the nation’s power infrastructure.
He pledged the ministry and stakeholders commitment toward ensuring full restoration of power to areas already liberated from the Boko Haram in the shortest possible time to reintegrate people of that region.
Igali used the occasion to announce that power has been restored to Ibbi in Taraba – State, under Yola Disco where electricity was disrupted as a result of communal clashes in the area but debunked insinuations that insurgency was still rife in the area.