I will resist paying bills if there is no light – Fashola
The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, yesterday said said he can also resist paying bills if he hasn’t received electricity just like what other customers are doing.
Fashola spoke at the 12th Monthly Power Sector and Stakeholders Meeting in Ibadan hosted by Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company attributing the persistent blackout in the country to sabotage of gas assets and pipelines.
“That sabotage has also created debt problem, shortfall in power expectation, and therefore, shortfall in recovery because consumers are more resistant to payment when they don’t have electricity, and I will be too and you will be too.
“And we see that they pay more when the power is more stable. Of course, there are issues also at the retail end - metering, estimated bills.
According to him,the available 3,500 to 3,800MW to keep on the grid over the last few months will be assisted greatly if we can have the gas pipelines back and add 3,000MW to it.
He explained that it means we will be able to deliver well over 6,000MW if the gas pipelines are safe.
Fashola said that the idea is to bring them to the table to stop the vandalism while the issues that agitate them can be treated and resolved.
“I believe that if we are successful as we expect to be, we should be able to sometimes this year recover all the 3,000MW that has been lost to gas pipeline outages.
“But beyond that government is also taking some steps to ensure that solutions are provided this year so that results begin to reach where the people are.
“One of the steps that government has taken is to constitute the regulatory commission, and the appointment of new managing director for TCN.
The minister said that government had made some progress in resolving some of the liquidity issues.
He said “I believe that within the last one month, some of the payments that were due to some of you ought to have been remitted by NBET as they promised.
“If they haven’t been remitted, I sure you it is only procedural process. The approvals have been given; you will get the money.
“But what is more important is that we have spent the last month holding toplevel government meetings to identify the debts owed to the gas companies and the generation companies and in the shortest possible time that it will require us to do so, we intend to settle the outstanding liabilities, debts and to provide a comfort assurance from government that every month those who actually produce power will get paid. So, we will conclude that very soon.