25 November 2014, Abuja – The Federal Government, yesterday, threatened to withdraw operational licences of the electricity Distribution Companies, Discos, that are rejecting electricity load allocations in the country.
Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, who issued the threat, while featuring at the 2014 Ministerial Platform to showcase his scorecard in Abuja, blamed some Discos for refusing to stock their warehouses with equipment to respond speedily to customers’ demands.
Expressing disappointment over the development, which makes it difficult for the consumers to enjoy electricity supply, Nebo therefore warned that, “from henceforth, any Disco that rejects electricity load allocation would be sanctioned or has its license withdrawn.”
According to him, “the national grid is limited in reach. The available electricity is insufficient to meet existing power needs, in spite of shortage, government is making effort to electrify the rural communities.”
He said it was in a bid to bridge the electricity deficit in the rural areas that the President flagged off Operation Light Up Rural Nigeria (OLRN) Initiative on January 13, 2014 at Durumi, Shape and Waru in the FCT using renewable energy.
The minister added that plans were underway to replicate OLRN pilot across the 36 states of the federation.
Nebo who pegged the current power generation in the country at 4,600 megawatts said 5,500 megawatts of electricity would be achieved by December end.
On stranded power in the country, Nebo said government, in its efforts to get stranded power unto the grid, identified a number of companies willing to generate power and export to the grid. The Federal Ministry of Power is coordinating the process with its relevant agencies.
He explained that the companies are: Ajaokuta Steel Company, 85mw; ALSCON, 100mw; Lafarge Cement, 40mw; Obajana Cement Plc, 35mw; Kaduna Refinery, 33.5mw; Geometric 22mw and NESCO, 26mw respectively.
Vanguard
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