…it may not stop system collapse
Olusola Bello
After experiencing four system collapse within one month, the Federal Government has now been forced to approve N1.4billion to boost the operations of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
But stakeholders have greeted this development with mixed reactions, as they said this may not bring a permanent solution to the frequent system collapse often experienced by the country except there is a holistic approach to the issues in the power value chain.
According to them, the same situation would continue to be experienced if the issues of power purchase agreement ( PPA), gas issues, remittance of revenues by distribution companies and generations are not addressed properly to the benefit of all the stakeholders in the industry.
They asked, what benefit it would be if the transmission lines are improved and they cannot pick loads from generating companies because some people would not be able to pay for what is generated, or the generating companies are not able to get gas to operate on a consistent basis.
Some said that Tower vandalization was a problem in the past; it is rearing its head again. They said they agree on the use of technology to monitor the towers but they cannot guarantee their security, because TCN lines are long and they pass through diverse terrains.
They said this was the reason when it was occurring frequently in the past TCN (NEPA/ PHCN) resorted to welding angle iron on all towers located in vulnerable areas.
According to the Minister of Power Abubakar Aliyu, a good part of the N1.4 billion is meant for the supply of more equipment for the TCN.
The power situation in the country has been compounded with an increase in diesel, an alternative source of energy by most households and production firms, a development that has also resulted in a hike in goods and services.
He said: “I presented two memos form the ministry of power for the Transmission Company of Nigeria. The first one was variation of the sum of a contract for 132/33 KV substation at Kafanchan, Kaduna State with a KV line base extension at Jos substation, in Plateau State. This is in the sum of N132,705, 861.42”.
The Minister also noted that the second approval he got was for the supply of handling equipment and operational vehicles also for the Transmission Company of Nigeria at the cost of N1.3 billion.
“The second memo was for the supply of handling equipment, haulage and operational vehicles for the TCN at N1,338,159,080. 88. They are heavy lifting equipment that the TCN requires for doing its work in the store and on the field, while changing equipment and moving transformers and the council graciously approved,” he said.
Power Minister Abubakar Aliyu while addressing State House correspondents after the week’s virtual Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, said recent incidents, including fatal attacks and abduction of foreign workers working on various power projects, had stalled work towards the completion of some projects, while other attacks on installations had led to blackouts.
“You can call it sabotage because, how can somebody go and pull down 330 (MW) tower to cause this havoc to the whole country? What do you call that?
“…We announced that we were going to inaugurate the Zungeru 700 MW hydro, which is currently at over 92 percent completion. We’re just doing little touches to commission the project.
“There was an attack on January 4 and they abducted the Chinese workers. Up till now, they’re still with the captives. The Chinese cannot return to work until they get their brothers out.
“So, they are working minimally. We have three sites on the whole project: the main dam, which, on March 28, we have commissioned one of the turbines and passed it; we did the tests and it has passed; it was celebrated. They are working there in the main hydro.
Then there is a line of over 30 kilometres to a switchyard. So, they’re not working on the switchyard on the line. If they don’t finish these two, you cannot evacuate. Even the turbine that we have commissioned and tested is just dry testing.
“You cannot take electricity out because of the line and the tripping point. That’s where the switchyard is and this was where they attacked and killed some people, took away some of them, the foreign workers, about three,” he said.
Also speaking, Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed said all Nigerians suffer whenever there is an act of sabotage on public facilities.
“What the Minister of Power is saying is that it’s not really about inefficiency or not caring on the part of the government, but that citizens also have a role to play in this,” he said.