.Reps step down motion seeking to sanction GenCos, NERC over outage 

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has solicited the support of the Nigerian Air Force in conducting unmanned aerial surveillance of critical power infrastructure.

The company, at a press conference in Abuja, attributed recent power outages across the country, especially in the northern region to ongoing security challenges.

It said power would be restored to the North in about five days.

Speaking at the briefing, the Managing Director of TCN, Dr Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, stated that the surveillance aims to enhance security and monitor the condition of affected towers, which have recently been targeted.

His words: “Efforts were made by using local vigilantes, who confirmed snap conductor on a tower, but they could not identify the tower number.”
He added that arrangements were made to use the local groups to escort engineers in the night to effect repairs to evade bandits in the location.
He said the efforts were unsuccessful because the hoodlums got wind of the plan, and laid siege to the area.

In his remarks, Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, noted that alternative methods for restoring power lines to the North would be explored.
BESIDES, the House of Representatives, yesterday, stepped down a motion calling on the Federal Government to sanction power generation companies (GenCos) and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) over the recent blackout in parts of the North.

The resolution followed a debate on the motion of urgent national importance sponsored by the lawmaker representing the Kura/Madobi/Garun Malam Federal Constituency of Kano State, Yusuf Umar Datti.

Outage engulfed 17 northern states in the past week, leaving millions without electricity, as they contend with a prolonged blackout.

Authorities had blamed the problem on vandals, who damaged the critical Shiroro-Kaduna transmission line, a major conduit supplying electricity to the region.

The President, on Monday, directed the Minister of Power and relevant agencies to speed up the restoration of electricity to all the affected states.

Datti, while presenting the motion, had argued that the lack of electricity in many parts of the North was due to the inability of the GenCos and NERC to meet their responsibilities.

He noted that the week-long outage had led to disruption in businesses, and threatened livelihood in the region.

The lawmaker blamed the blackout on a “show of gross inefficiency and incompetency by the GenCos and NERC.”
However, after presenting his motion, Mansur Manu Soro (Bauchi, APC) raised a point of order, saying Datti’s motion was similar to the one he presented at the plenary last Wednesday.

Soro said following his motion, the House had mandated its Committee on Power to investigate the frequent national grid collapse and report back in three weeks.

But Datti clarified that his motion was different, with two additional prayers, seeking sanctions for GenCos and NERC.

The Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the session, agreed that the prayers in Datti’s motion were similar to what was presented last week.
He also noted that the issues raised by the lawmaker have been addressed by President Bola Tinubu.

Kalu, consequently, asked the lawmaker to step down the motion.