Massive Investment For Discos Underway – Minister

THE Minster of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has assured Nigerians that the ministry would do all it could to ensure that electricity distribution companies ( Discos) step up their games through massive investment, noting, “if that fails, it will resort to legal backing.”

The minister also said that ongoing power upgrade and investment in the power sector would improve electricity supply within the next three to six months.

Adelabu, who spoke during a working visit to some ongoing projects in Maryland and Alausa substations in Lagos, said that upgrading of some substations in Lagos by Transmission Company of Nigeria ( TCN) had commenced on 30MVA transformers to 100 MVA and 205 MVA in Maryland and Alausa, respectively.

He said that investment across Distribution Companies ( Discos) was low due to the unavailability of funds to carry out infrastructure upgrades, appealing to the companies to ensure good service delivery to justify tariff review.

According to him, the ministry would do all it could to ensure that Discos up their games through massive investment, noting, “if that fails, it will resort to legal backing.”

Adelabu bemoaned the rising cases of vandalism of power assets across the country, recommending capital punishment for vandals.

He labeled vandals of power assets as “killers of people and saboteurs of business growth”.

“We need scapegoats. We are ready to give them the right punishment in terms of prosecution.

“Punishment for vandals should go beyond six months jail term. Capital punishment should be meted out for power vandals. They kill people, and they kill businesses,” he said.