Prof. Chinedu Nebo, Minister of Power took delivery of abandoned energy equipment in 248 containers from the Nigerian Customs Services at Apapa, Lagos. The equipments were allegedly abandoned in the last 11 years by the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria, (PHCN). The minister said, while receiving the containers, that the delivery of the equipment was a thing of joy to the ministry.
“It is my pleasure to address you today; it is a day of joy and gladness for the release of 248 containers of power equipment. These equipments had been abandoned at the various bounded terminals in Lagos since 2003 by the defunct PHCN. We have inspected some of them, we wish to express our most profound gratitude to the Comptroller-General of Customs,” Nebo said.
Nebo said that the equipments were meant for Abo, Nbese, Obas-Nnewi, Danbata substations, Omotosho, Egbin, Aja lines. Others are Acorn-Ibom 33kva line, Iganga-Ibora substation, Ikorodu Odogunyan Ishagamu transmission and Nsuka-Ayanbas lines.
“The impacts of this can only be imagined because the projects have been stalled for all of these years.
“We are going to revamp the projects and all the containers will be taken to the sites,’’ he said. He said that the power equipments were meant to improve power supply in the country. According to him, the equipments are for power projects that ought to have been delivered about a decade ago.
Nebo said that the equipments ordered for by the defunct PHCN were fully paid for but abandoned at the Apapa terminal. He said that Federal Government would find out why the equipments were abandoned at the port, adding that such act would not occur again.
“This is one of the glorious things about the transformation agenda of Mr President Goodluck Jonathan that has zero tolerance for waste.
“This containers could have remained at the port if not for the intervention of President Jonathan who rightfully secured what belonged to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
“We now have a synergy with the Nigeria Customs Service and we are impressed with the understanding of the Nigerian Customs,” he said. In his remarks, Mr Mack Kast, the Managing Director, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), said that the release of the equipments was special day to Nigerians and members of TCN.
Kast said that since the generation and distribution companies had been privitised, the transmission company now had a major role to play in reviving the power sector.
“It is our goal to double the evacuation capacity of TCN. It is our expectation that by year 2020, TCN will have the capacity to evacuate 20,000 mega watts of power, which will be a huge development in the sector,” Kast said.
