The Nigerian Government says it could not reach its earlier promised power generation target of 5,000 Megawatts due to gas shortage.
The Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu said this on Wednesday while responding to questions from State House Correspondents, shortly after the meeting of the Executive Council of the Federal Government, chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari.
With the current supply below the target and fluctuating, the Power Minister blamed the gas supply, noting that his ministry does not have exclusive control over the vital resource.
According to him, the government had entered into a firm contract with the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc.
Power generation had remained around 4,000 megawatts because of the problem with gas.
He explained that the Federal Government has firm contracts with only 5 of the 28 Power Generating Companies, but will extend it to more GenCos to stabilise supply at 5000MW.
He, however, assured Nigerians that the government has “all the ingredients” to solve the supply challenge soon.
Asked about the ongoing strike by members of the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, the Minister said the protesting workers do not have issues with his ministry, but with the Head of Service.
The NUEE had withdrawn its services from the Kaduna Regional Headquarters of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, according to the directive of the union’s national leadership.
NUEE officials cordoned off the Mando TCN Station in the Kaduna State capital, cutting all operations, and forcing workers out of the company’s premises before locking the gate.
They are protesting the nonpayment of outstanding arrears owed to former workers of the now-defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria, the suspension of conditions of service, and career path for workers, and the directive by the TCN board to conduct promotion interviews for acting principal managers, who are moving to Assistant General Managers.
The workers said the TCN Kaduna office which oversees operations in Kaduna, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara, will resume operations only after the Federal Government meets all their demands.
While responding to questions on the issue, the Minister of Power said, “The issues they have is not particularly something to do with us, but with employment issues with the Head of Service.”
He says the Minister of State for Power, Minister of Labour and Head of Civil Service of the Federation were absent from the council meeting, to attend to the developing issues.
Aliyu also revealed that the Council approved over N2.7b as revised estimates for the updated rates of building structure compensation and resettlement of the communities affected by the construction of the 700 megawatts Zungeru Hydroelectric power project.
He said this revises the subsisting amount from over N19.6b to over N22.4b.
(Editor: Ifeanyi Mark)
