BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja
The Federal Government has explained why several critical power projects remain incomplete for over two decades, despite efforts by the government to resolve the electricity crisis in the country.
Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe disclosed this in Lagos during a joint briefing with the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, where he flagged off the release of the first 44 containers at ENL Terminal.
Tegbe linked the delayed projects to the prolonged abandoned equipment at the Nigerian Ports, which automatically obstructed the expansion and rehabilitation of the national transmission network.
He described the release of the stranded equipment as a significant step towards addressing longstanding gaps in Nigeria’s electricity transmission infrastructure, explaining that the materials were originally procured to strengthen substations, expand transmission capacity and improve the evacuation of electricity generated from power plants to consumers.
Tegbe noted that the prolonged delay had tied down substantial public funds, while existing substations continued to operate under pressure due to the absence of additional equipment intended to improve their capacity.
The minister hinted that 98 of the initial 300 containers had received approval for release, describing the development as an important step towards recovering the stranded assets and putting them to productive use.
He praised President Bola Tinubu for approving the intervention and facilitating collaboration among the relevant ministries and agencies to resolve the outstanding administrative and financial challenges.
Tegbe stated that the ministry in partnership with Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and other technical stakeholders, had commenced the process of identifying the projects that would benefit from the recovered equipment.
He informed that engineers would conduct comprehensive inspections and technical tests to determine the condition and suitability of the materials before deployment.
The minister identified Kaduna, Ajaokuta, Lokoja and Enugu among the locations expected to benefit from the intervention, adding that other areas would also receive equipment based on the requirements of their respective transmission projects.
He hinted that the recovered materials would strengthen the national transmission network, improve electricity evacuation from generation facilities, enhance voltage stability and reduce interruptions caused by overloading.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi announced the commencement of the clearance and release of more than 300 containers of critical electricity sector equipment abandoned at Nigerian ports for between 14 and 20 years.
The exercise followed a presidential directive for the immediate evacuation of the stranded consignments, even as additional 44 containers located at Tin Can Island and other terminals would be released as the exercise progressed.
He informed that the Service had introduced special measures to facilitate the exercise, including priority processing, dedicated officers for joint examinations and the implementation of approved waivers on accumulated port charges.
Adeniyi acknowledged the support of the Ministers of Finance and Marine and Blue Economy, alongside other government agencies, in addressing the financial and administrative bottlenecks that had prevented the evacuation of the containers.
The CG was concerned over the practice of contractors importing equipment for government-funded projects only to abandon the consignments at the ports without delivering the projects for the intended beneficiaries.
He described the practice as economic sabotage, adding that the development deprived Nigerians of essential infrastructure and the economic benefits expected from public investments.
Adeniyi cautioned that contractors responsible for abandoning government-funded project materials would no longer be allowed to evade accountability, stating that Customs would work with relevant ministries and agencies to identify the defaulters and provide necessary information for appropriate action.
He maintained that the exercise would extend beyond the power sector, adding that similar cases of abandoned consignments had affected other government development projects and materials brought into the country by international organisations and development partners.
The CG enjoined the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to maintain proper engagement with Customs to prevent essential project materials from becoming trapped at ports and border stations.
He assured that technical experts would inspect the recovered equipment after evacuation to establish their condition and serviceability, stating that equipment found suitable for use would be deployed to ongoing and critical power projects, while obsolete items would be disposed appropriately.
Comments
Post a Comment