Power Sector Sets to Rate Distribution Companies on Safety and Payment Performance

__ Port Harcourt DISCO Tops on Safety Ranking.

Arising from key issues that are thrown up at the Monthly sectorial meetings, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, (SAN), at the meeting which held at Shiroro Hydroelectric Plant, in Niger State, directed Nigerian Electricity Management Services (NEMSA), Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trader, (NBET), and the Market Operator (TCN/ MO) to implement ranking criteria in order to assess the safety and payment performance of Distribution Companies (DISCOs).

The Minister’s concern is sequel to the spade of cases in electrocutions as recently reported on locations in Eko and Abuja DISCOs, although the families were compensated in record time. He is of the opinion that they should embark on system upgrade to reduce or totally eliminate this hazard, thereby reducing the incidence of electrocution and other related accidents. To this end, the Ministerial directive was reportedly complied with, hence for the month of May, Port Harcourt Disco has been ranked first in safety compliance category.

In order to assist Discos with the upgrade plans, the Minister directed them to take ownership of abandoned transformers and sub- stations in their domain. This he assured will help them to energize their networks, thereby increasing availability of power supply to households.

Owing to obvious constraints, the ranking for payment performance will commence in June, hence the full ranking for metering loss reduction and service delivery will be made public in July, 2016.

It would be recalled that the Minister, on assumption of duty, instituted the Regular/ Monthly Operators in the Electricity Industry’s Meeting premised on a hands on approach to identifying, discussing and finding practical solutions to challenges confronting the industry, not from the comfort of his office but on the field by criss- crossing sectors’ facilities and sites nationwide.

Since the commencement of the monthly rituals, the sixth in a roll, a week from now, has been slated for Monday 11^th July, 2016, at Benin Distribution Company, (Benin Disco).

Timothy Oyedeji

Director (Press)