Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Ibrahim Ramalan
Published on 2024-02-23 19:18:52
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.- Gen.Taoreed Lagbaja, has raised concerns about corpses in mortuaries within some Nigerian Army barracks decomposing due to power outages. Bolaji Tunji, the Special Adviser to the Minister of Power on Strategic Communication and Media Relations, relayed this information in a statement released in Abuja.
Lagbaja highlighted the issue during a visit to the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, to discuss the N42 billion debt owed to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company by the army. The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company had issued a 10-day notice to 83 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to settle their outstanding debts or face disconnection.
The Army Chief expressed grave concern over the deteriorating situation in army mortuaries and emphasized the need for urgent intervention. He revealed that several army barracks and cantonments have been experiencing complete blackout since January, leading to the accumulation of debt on the meters.
Lagbaja emphasized the army’s inability to raise the funds required to settle the entire debt and called for a solution similar to the one implemented in 2005 by the then president. He also assured the Minister of Power of the army’s support in developing strategies to combat electricity infrastructure vandalism.
In response, the minister assured the army chief of his readiness to engage with the Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) to address the army’s electricity debt burden. He stressed the importance of liquidity and funding in the power sector and acknowledged that debts cannot be simply written off.
The minister acknowledged the challenges facing the power sector, including vandalization of infrastructure, theft, inefficiencies in billing and collection processes, poor metering, gas supply shortages, and transmission station attacks. He emphasized that these issues have persisted for decades and require long-term solutions.
While highlighting the national significance of power outages, the minister encouraged the army to continue safeguarding power facilities across the nation. He pledged to explore collaboration with the army and development partners to install solar Photovoltaics (PVs) and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) as alternative power sources in army barracks and cantonments.
In conclusion, the minister emphasized the complex nature of the challenges facing the power sector and acknowledged that there are no quick-fix solutions. He reiterated the government’s commitment to addressing the underlying issues and sought continued partnership with the army to improve the power infrastructure nationwide.
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