Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has expressed concerns over the current poor power supply in the country especially at the period Nigerians are told to stay at home because of the Coronavirus pandemic.
In a press statement made available to reporters on Wednesday, the Speaker’s reaction followed a protest by a Nollywood actress, Ada Ameh, of lack of power supply in most homes in Nigeria in a video that had gone viral.
The Speaker who swiftly summoned a meeting with the Minister of Power, Sale Mamman, and the management of the National Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, expressed dismay over the barrage of calls and messages from many Nigerians as he added that even the hospital are also without electricity and wants an urgent solution.”
Responding, the Minister of Power tabled the challenges faced by the Power Generating Companies (GENCOs), ranging from technical and revenue shortfall.
He noted that the GENCOS can’t as well meet their financial obligations to Gas companies.
The Discos also pay less of their generated revenue to the GENCOs because they complain about power theft by consumers, high technical costs among other challenges.
Sale wants the National Assembly to plead with the CBN to help with funds to enable the Federal Government augment the revenue shortfall and pay gas companies and thereafter bring all the critical Key players for further discussion.
In his contribution, the NERC Commissioner on Compliance, Akpaneye, assured the Speaker that the Commission is committing the Discos to a new guideline.
The Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, and the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, in their various contributions, gave accounts of complications arising from the non-fulfilment of financial obligations by the electricity stakeholders but assured of interventions in the interest of Nigerians who are observing the lockdown order.
The meeting is expected to reconvene in the next few days to find lasting solutions to the challenges in the power sector, the statement said.
