31 August 2015, Abuja – The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Ambassador Godknows Igali, on Monday said electricity has been stable in the country lately because there has not been any case of gas pipeline vandalism.
Igali spoke with State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He recalled that vandalism was the bane of electricity supply during the last administration.
He said things improved with the decision of the current administration to double efforts at engaging communities where the pipelines passed through.
This, he said, led to increased gas supplies and improved power supply nationwide currently at 4,600MW.
He said, “The gas is now passing to the gas pipelines and I think that the government has been engaging the communities and the places where these gas infrastructures pass through.
“We hope it will be sustained because, like I said, there is a conscious engagement and it’s redouble.
“Redouble means that there was effort and when there was effort and you put additional effort and additional effort, then, it means that you have redoubled your work and that is what is going on.
“We saw tremendous vandalism especially before the handover. It has never been so bad.
“But for the past three months, not a single day has had that kind of vandalism. It is our prayer that this will continue.”
Igali explained that apart from President Muhammadu Buhari building on efforts of past government and tasking stakeholders to double efforts, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had been holding almost daily meetings with power distribution companies on ways of improving power supply to consumers.
He dismissed the insinuation that power supply improved because of increased rains.
Igali explained that the hydro power stations in Kainji and Shiroro contribute just about 20 per cent of the entire electricity and no substantial additions come from there.
*Olalekan Adetayo – Punch
