24 september 2014, Lagos – The Chairman of the supervisory Board of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Mr. Haman Tukur, has called on the members of the board to work diligently to realise the federal government’s mandate of ensuring quality and stable power supply in the country.
Speaking during the maiden meeting of the board in Abuja recently, Tukur also urged his colleagues to complement the efforts of the federal government in the areas of construction of new transmission projects, new power plants, and gas infrastructure, as well as the privatisation programme.
He said these efforts were directed at providing efficient operations and improved electricity to the people. He charged them to justify the confidence reposed in them by President Goodluck Jonathan by bringing to bear their wealth of experience and expertise for the nation to achieve its critical development needs.
Also speaking during the meeting, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of TCN, Mr. Don Priestman, expressed his gratitude to President Jonathan for the Manitoba Hydro International (MHI) management contract for turnaround of TCN.
He also expressed the willingness of TCN management to work with the board members to achieve the federal government’s mandate of improved power supply delivery to the people, assuring stakeholders that TCN’s turn-around is achievable; given the right resources and staff members’attitude.
The meeting was attended by all the 17 board members, including its vice chairman, Mr. Olusola Akinfemiwa; a former Governor of Ebonyi State, Dr. Sam Egwu; and a representative of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Mr. Joseph Makoju.
Other representatives of relevant stakeholders such as Ministries of Power, Petroleum & Finance, as well as the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Generation Companies (Gencos) and Distribution Companies (Discos) also attended the meeting.
The TCN had earlier received newly-recruited 522 engineers from the Federal Ministry of Power to increase the engineering capacity of the organisation to ensure better management and maintenance of the transmission network.
Receiving the new employees, Priestman was upbeat that the organisation was bringing in a crop of young and skilled people with the potential to stabilise power transmission in the country. He charged the new employees to work hard, assuring that the TCN would provide good path for the young professionals.
– This Day