FG to sell DisCos managed by AMCON, banks in next three months

FG to sell DisCos managed by AMCON, banks in next three months

The federal government says it would sell off five
electricity distribution companies (DisCos) under the management of banks and
Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) in the next three months to
technical power operators.

 

Adebayo Adelabu, minister of power, spoke in Abuja on Monday
when the members of the senate committee on power visited the ministry.

 

The five DisCos include Abuja Electricity Distribution
Company (AEDC), currently under the management of the United Bank for Africa
(UBA); Benin Electricity Distribution Company, Kaduna Electricity Distribution
Company, and Kano Electricity Distribution Company, managed by Fidelity Bank, while
Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company is under AMCON management.

 

The DisCos are under the management of the banks and AMCON
due to their debt burden.

 

Adelabu said the energy distribution assets are technical
and as such, they should be under the management of technical experts.

 

He also said the tough decision on the DisCos has become
necessary because the entire Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) fails
when they refuse to perform.

 

According to Adebayo, the ministry will prevail on the
Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to revoke underperforming
licenses and also change the management board of the DisCos if it becomes the
solution.

 

“On distribution, very soon you will see that tough
decisions will be taken on the DisCos. They are the last lap of the sector. If
they don’t perform, the entire sector is not performing,” Adebayo said.

 

”The entire ministry is not performing. We have put pressure
on NERC, which is their regulator to make sure they raise the bar on regulation
activities.

 

”If they have to withdraw licenses for non-performance, why
not? If they have to change the board of management, why not?

 

“And all the DisCos that are still under AMCON and Banks,
within the next three months, must be sold to technical power operators with
good reputations in utility management.

 

“We can no longer afford AMCON to run our DisCos. We can no
longer afford the banks to run our DisCos. This is a technical industry and it
must be run by technical experts.”

 

The minister further said it has become necessary to
reorganise the DisCos for efficiency.

 

He stressed that Ibadan DisCo is too large for one company
to manage.

 

FG TO REVOKE METRE
CONTRACT FROM FIRM

Adelabu also dropped the hint that the federal government
mobilised a company named Messr Zigglass with $200 million (N32 billion) to
supply three million meters that were yet to be supplied to date.

 

“If you held N32 billion for these years, where is the
interest,” he asked.

 

According to Adelabu, President Bola Tinubu directed that
the contract be revoked.

 

He said the government will bridge the current eight million
metering gap in the next four to five years.

 

The minister said the funding for the metre is coming from a
seed capital of N100 billion and N75 billion.

 

He added that the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority
(NISA) is coming to the aid of the ministry with the fund.

Source: FG to sell DisCos managed by AMCON, banks in next three months

 - NigerianEye

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