The Federal Government has threatened to revoke licenses of some electricity distribution companies (DisCos) over what it described as willful non-performance.
It said findings had revealed that some distribution companies were deliberately not taking up power supply from TCN while some power lines were also damaged by vandals in Abuja, Benin, PortHarcourt and Ibadan regions.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Minister of Power, Engr Adebayo Adelabu expressed worry over the deteriorating state of electricity supply across the country.
ALSO READ: Inflation: Buhari’s administration printed Naira for eight years without matching production — FG
This, it said, prompted him to summon the Chief Executives of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) and also the Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Alhaji Sule Ahmed Abdulazeez.
It said management of other non-performing DisCos would also be queried over non-performance as reports continue to filter in on the situation in their regions.
“These two DISCOs have been summoned due to the worsening power supply situation in their regions despite improved supply from TCN”, he said.
In terms of gas shortage, the statement noted that the Ministry had been putting pressure on the Generating Companies (GENCOs) to improve performance adding that generation has been ramped up to over 4000MW in recent days.
“So, we expect power supply to have improved across the country, unlike what we are experiencing in some regions,” it said.
Going forward, the Minister said focus would be on all the DISCOs to compel them to expected performance, while “wilful non-performance by any DISCO could suffice as a reason for severe punishment or outright license revocation”.
The Minister has also directed TCN to immediately commence repair works on the damaged transmission towers and power lines in order to improve supply in the affected regions.
It will be recalled that the Minister had embarked on supervisory visits to some of the power generating plants in the last few months.