Following the claim by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Egbin Power Plc that the Plant may shut down putting some parts of the country in total darkness, the minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola has dispelled the claim as “inflammatory and insensitive to Nigeria’s national security.”
The Director of the power plant, Mr. Dallas Peavey Jr, had earlier warned that if the issue of liquidity and shortage of gas supply persist, they will have no option but to shut down the Egbin power plant.
During the opening ceremony of the Power Nigeria Agenda 2016, yesterday in Lagos, the minister said the debts in question were not incurred by this administration noting that the administration will not pay debts that were not properly verified.
Fashola said “If the commentator was not introspective, he would mention that the debts were not incurred by this administration, and that debt and settlement are continuous events in the power value chain, bills are served, claims are made, they are verified and settled.
“Also, he would have spoken about approval and payment that have been made this year. It is a continuous verification for claims and settlement of debts.
“All of the debts that are owed and legitimately contracted, verified will be paid. There is a clear policy decision in that area, but it requires all operators, those who claim and those who have to pay to operate in a transparent manner. We will not pay debts that are not properly verified and accounted for” he noted.
He, also, debunked claims that the grid is very flimsy and cannot support 1300MW not to talk of 5000MW.
He said the grid currently has the capacity to support 5300MW which is expanding on a daily basis.
“We are synchronizing with the Generating Companies and the Distribution Companies (DISCOs) in order to ensure the service end that connects both, which is the Transmission Company of Nigeria is able to respond adequately on demand.
“These are some of the serious issues that we take up at our monthly power meeting. Our next meeting will hold in Sokoto,” Fashola concluded.