TheCable

Babatunde Fashola, minister of power, works and housing, and stakeholders in the power sector, have asked the Enugu state government to verify and pay up N2 billion electricity debt.

This was disclosed via a communique issued by the ministry, after the 16th monthly meeting of the minister and operators if the power sector, held on Monday at Ugwuaji 330/132 kV Transmission substation, Enugu.

The meeting, which was chaired by Fashola, appealed to state house of assembly to give room for privatisation, and maintain a good relationship with the DisCo in Enugu.

“Appealed to Enugu State House of Assembly to make allowances for privatisation, which has only been in place for four years compared to decades of public management, and encouraged positive engagement with Enugu DisCo to improve service delivery,” the communique read.

“Additionally, Enugu State was encouraged to verify and pay the N2billion debt said to be owed by Enugu State Government as making payment for energy consumed is important in funding improvements in the power sector”.

The meeting agreed that the “cooperation of DisCos was vital to the reduction of connection time for new businesses, leading to 100% compliance by the Power Sector in the Presidential Initiative for Enabling Businesses”.

“DisCos are encouraged to implement the reduction from 190 days to 60 days.”

The whistleblowing policy of the federal government has also been extended to the power sector to curb electricity theft.

“That energy theft is also a limiting factor in quality service, because a small population bears the large cost of energy consumption,” the communique stated.

“The public was encouraged to extend the whistle blowing policy of government to the power sector to ensure energy theft is brought under control. Stakeholders are also encouraged to name and shame energy thieves as a deterrent.”

The players in the sector made a brief of major power sector projects currently being executed.