FG bemoans destruction of power equipment

PHCN power installation

Fifteen power transmission towers were destroyed in one week by unidentified vandals, across Nigeria, according to a top official of the Federal Government.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Power, Mr Godsknows Igali, said the destruction of the equipment and installations of the Power Holding Company partly explained the irregular power supply in the country.

He spoke in Abuja to newsmen after a meeting of the Board of the National Council on Privatisation (NCP).

The meeting was presided over by Vice-President Namadi Sambo.

“The truth is that there is an unprecedented massive scale of vandalism that has just come up from everywhere. Sometimes we don’t understand why they do these things. Last weekend we lost 15 towers, 330KVA, not the small towers you see around; we lost 15 of them; no country experiences that kind of thing.

“We lost 15 towers in the forest where nobody will be guarding and with the security agencies out trying to track what happened. This is public money providing services to Nigerians. Why some people will go and bring them down, we don’t understand.

“Last week, we lost a major 150 MVA transformer; huge equipment that cost billions of naira just exploded.
Even in the Delta axis there was a major blow-up in one of the main arteries pipeline; two big spots were blown up’’

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Igali, however, revealed that some suspects had been apprehended in connection with the destruction of the 15 electricity towers.

The Permanent Secretary expressed delight at the improvement in electricity supply in other parts of the country following the takeover of the PHCN Distribution and Generation Companies by their new owners.

“In some parts of the country, we have seen some remarkable improvements and in other places we have seen power supply and availability going down.

The new owners have taken over and we have seen their investment plans; we have seen their spirited efforts to bring in money to expand, modernise and to improve.’’

He, therefore, assured Nigerians that government would continue to monitor the new power companies’ owners closely to ensure improved electricity supply.

On the payment of entitlements to the retired PHCN workers, Igali stated that almost all payment issues had been completed.

He, however, noted that there were residual issues that needed verification and capturing of biometrics particularly with pensioners of PHCN.

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