Power: PDP, APC promise 9, 12-hour uninterrupted supplies

 

Ahead of the 2015 general election, the People are Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressive Congress (APC), yesterday, while unfolding their agenda in the energy sector gave a deadline within which Nigerians would begin to have a 12-hour electricity supply.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has described the power sector transformation roadmap of the Goodluck Jonathan-led government as nothing to write home about. It therefore promised at least 12-hours uninterrupted power supply if elected come March 28 2015.
The party faulted the PDP government’s policies in the sector at the 6th edition of the Nigeria Political Parties Discussion (NPPD) series organised by the Centre for Democracy and Development, CDD, in Abuja titled “Improving power supply in Nigeria”.
“I want to assure all Nigerians that at least 12 hours supply would be ensured within 12 to 18 months of being voted into power,” APC’s National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said. According to him, “We can guarantee regular, steady, reliable and affordable supply to all Nigerians between 12 to 18 months of our coming to power.”
Mohammed, who described the three components to power as the generation, transmission and distribution, said his party, when elected into power on 28 of March, would invest in high-tech surveillance of the transmission network so as to eliminate the activities of vandals.
“If we are able to achieve those two, you will be able to achieve the high percentage of transmission of what is generated. Again, this goes to the role of government.
“Even when you privatise this sector, the government cannot abandon its role as facilitator and a body that will create an enabling environment for the smooth operation of the sector. And that role, we are going to take seriously by having a period meeting with stakeholders,” he stated.
On his argument, Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Dr. Sam Amadi, who represented the PDP said Nigerians should hold the PDP accountable in the next ten weeks should the party fail to give a 12- hour electricity supply to the country. He also said going by the NERC’s projection, the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) would ensure that Nigerians get at least 10 to 12 hours supply within the next two and half months.
“Without speculating, because to make that projection there must be parts available to you; their tax, which wasn’t there before, the better funding; American bank is providing 1.5 billion, all these are investments.
Now giving all the facts available as we speak, it is projected that the NIPP is coming on that between 10 and 12 hours will be possible within the next two and half months by NERC projection. “Now, it also projected that towards the end of the year, by the time the ten other NIPPs which were abandoned and reactivated under Jonathan, we should be beyond that.
So, speaking in specifics, it is expected that within the next ten weeks projected, giving the variables from performance above, that it should be possible to give 12 hours,” he said.