Fashola warns DISCOS against blackmailing FG
– Fashola has revealed that the government would not be blackmailed by DISCOS
– Speaking through his special adviser on communications he said only legitimate payment would be made
– Fashola also urged DISCOS to avoid creating unnecessary associations
Babatunde Fashola
The current minister of power, works and housing, Babatunde Fashola has warned Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOS) to stop blackmailing the federal government.
Apparently the DISCOS were blackmailing the FG over outstanding debts allegedly owed them by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
Speaking through his special adviser on communications, Mr Hakeem Bello, on Tuesday, November 22, the minister made it very clear that the blackmail would not be tolerated.
Thus he gave the warning at a meeting with power sector operators in the country.
This reaction was prompted by the advertorial placed by the Association of Electricity Distributing Companies (AEDC) on the debt owed DISCOS by MDAs.
Fashola stated that only verified debts would be paid by the government and they would not succumb to blackmail through advertorials or any means.
He went on to advise the DISCOS to pursue payment of the debt in their separate capacities and not under the aegis of any association.
While making it clear that the Nigerian constitution guaranteed freedom of association, it is important to note that the privatisation that resulted in the transfer of the distribution assets of power was not held between the federal government and any association.
Fashola also revealed that the DISCOS are yet to provide details of such debts for verification, saying:
“Let me say without any equivocation that government will not succumb to the blackmail, at least not the Federal Government of Nigeria”.
The former Lagos governor revealed that the government had provided an online platform where all DISCOS were required to submit details of their debts to that platform for government to verify it.
He said: “I think that advert should have told Nigerians how many DISCOS have complied with that instruction. That advert should also have told Nigerians how much was owed and to which DISCO. So while I respect the rights of association, indeed our constitution allows freedom of association.
“But the Nigeria government will not pay its debts estimated to be about N100 Billion under the aegis of an association. That is not how to resolve debts, every DISCO knows how much power it supplied.
“Debts are not calculated by estimates. It is either N100 billion or less than N100 billion but not an estimate,” Fashola concluded.
He ended by promising to respond on behalf of government to provide the other side of information, any time the DISCOS went public with incomplete or wrong information.
Meanwhile, a group of German renewable energy companies led by Nigus has agreed to build five solar power plants worth N183bn ($600m) in some North-Eastern states.
It was revealed by the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council that the plant will generate 100 megawatts of electricity.
No comments