Power: FG pledges 1 million meters to bridge deficit

By Etuka Sunday

The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo has disclosed the plan of the federal government to bridge the current metering deficit in the power sector by distributing over one million meters to electricity consumers across the states of the federation.

The over one million meters according to him, would help the Distribution Companies (DisCos) reach out speedily to many consumers as possible in their determined meter implementation scheme.

Based on their agreements with the federal government, discos are supposed to meter every electricity consumer in the country. However, the federal government decided to intervene because of the slow pace of implementation of the metering plan by discos and the cry by Nigerians of being defrauded by discos through estimated billing system.

Speaking at Town Hall Meeting yesterday in Abuja, the minister who said that the privatisation of the power sector was the best thing that has happened to Nigeria, added that mechanism would be developed for the meters to be well distributed using the distribution companies.

Nebo noted that before the present administration, there was no gas infrastructure in place to fire the existing power plants in the country, but disclosed that the anomaly has been corrected, as there are gas facilities connected to almost all the power plants now in Nigeria.

He lamented the devastating effect of gas pipeline vandalism which has hindered the intended progress of power generation in 2014, but assured that adequate security measures would be put in place to checkmate those sabotaging government’s efforts in the sector.

He pegged the current power generation as at yesterday at 4, 500 megawatts, but promised Nigerians of 6,000 megawatts this year, 12, 500 megawatts by 2017 and 20, 000 megawatts by 2020 respectively.

Also speaking, the President, Consumer Protection Network, Mr Kunle Olubiyo advised the government that service charges should not be included in the tariff in areas where there is no electricity for weeks or months.