By Ebriku John Friday
The Federal government has taken deliberate steps to improve the deplorable state of power in the country, meeting with major players in the sector like the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, the Transmission Company of Nigeria TCN and the two ministers of power, Engineer Saleh Maman and his Minister of state counterpart Goddy Jedy Agba in Abuja.
This was contained in a statement signed by SA Media and Communication Strategy to Minister of State Power, Mr Ofem Uket.
Speaking at the event the minister of power Engr. Saleh Maman told the delegation that the Federal government is committed to ensuring that there is great improvement in electricity supply across the country.
He said the meeting was timely in the face of inadequacies in the supply of power in cities and communities in the country.
Also speaking, was the minister of state power Goddy Jedy Agba who urged actors in the sector to put in more technical commitment to deliver electricity to the people, saying the only language the people understands is to have steady supply of electricity In their homes.
According to him, government will continue to ensure it provides relevant policies on power sector reforms to drive the process of growth in the country.
Earlier, the Governor of Edo state and board chairman Niger Delta Power Holding Company Godwin Obaseki said the essence of the meeting was to disclose to the Federal government and its representative that NDPHC has power assets across the country managed by the Transmission Company of Nigeria TCN, saying such revenue assets have not generated any revenue over time.
The governor disclosed that TCN had not remitted revenue realised on the management of the assets, and that has affected the finances of NDPHC.
The governor said NDPHC cannot evacuate power for sale because of its low revenue base and the fact that players in the sector are offering to buy at very low cost.
Aslo on non- remittances, the managing director NDPHC Chiedu Ugbo said the company has not made any revenue in the huge investments made to build power transmission assets in the country, stressing that they have come to discuss with the two ministers of power to facilitated speedy approach of payment by TCN to NDPHC.
He appealed to the power ministry to consider the huge investment the company has made.
