FG sets up committee to ensure payment, adequate power supply

The Vice President, Architect Mohammed Namadi Sambo, has set up a committee to address the widening gap regarding energy delivery to transmission companies and payment for such deliveries.
Speaking on Friday at the State House, Abuja, Sambo said it was imperative to convene a meeting to address the issue of delay or non-payment for the electricity supplied by the distribution companies.
Sambo urged the companies to honour the contract it signed with the Federal Government, noting that non-payment for government investment on power may affect the smooth operation of the sector as government is paying for gas and other components to enable the sector function.
He raised concern over mounting debts, adding that the essence of government building the sector was to create jobs and to provide constant electricity to Nigerians.
In order to address the recurring issues and the centrality of multi-year-tariff-order to resolving the issues, the VP set up a technical committee comprising  the Minister of State for Power, the Director General of Budget, the Chairman of the National Electricity Regulatory Commission, Market Operator, Transmission Company of Nigeria, and the Chairman of the Task Force on Power.
The committee has one week to submit its report.
He also set up a committee of the Ministry of Power and Presidential Task Force on Power to assign accounting efficiency officers to the distribution companies and also come up with a suitable structure for the Market Operator Office.
On the difficulties in payment of salaries to the staff in Yola Distribution Office, Sambo directed the committee, through the Market Operator, to release funds to address the issue of salary, metering, payment for gas and other infrastructural needs to boost power supply.
He frowned at the idea of keeping transformers in the stores instead of mounting them for power consumers.
Earlier, the chief executives of the eleven distribution companies enumerated their challenges.
Some of them included the 50 per cent increase in salaries of staff, increase in the number of staff following the unbundling of PHCN, security challenges in most areas, inadequate meters and other management issues.