No More Load Shedding by NEPA, Says Makoju
Generates N5.7bn revenue in August
By 'Deji Elumoye and Chinazor Megbolu
National Electric Power Authority (NEPA), has assured electricity consumers of uninterrupted power supply saying the era of load shedding is over.
The Managing Director of NEPA, Mr. Joseph Makoju who gave the assurance yesterday while on a visit to the Journalists' Estate at Arepo in Obafemi/Owode Local Government area of Ogun State said unlike what was prevalent in the past, NEPA has now discarded the policy of load shedding.
He said the authority has now embarked on constant supply of electricity to all consumer across the country.
Makoju however added that any area or location that currently don't have constant supply must be having local problems to contend with.
According to him, the generating capacity of NEPA has risen to 3,000 megawatts and the "plant are currently on to increase the authority's generating capacity."
To this end, he said the Federal Government has awarded contracts for the setting up of four more power generating plants in different parts of the country adding that one of such plants is to be sited in Ogun State.
Makoju also added that the operations of NEPA has been decentralised "as energy distribution centre now has its Chief Executive Officer with Abuja acting as the co-ordinator."
While commending the Lagos State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), for its housing programme tagged Arepo Journalists' Estate, NEPA managing director assured that the authority would be ready to offer necessary support for the development of the estate.
He said NEPA's technical team would soon visit the estate to see things for itself and hold discussions with the community and the estate development committee headed by Otunba Segun Runseme, Executive Director of National Orientation Agency (NOA).
His words: "The outcome of the visit of the NEPA technical team to the journalists estate would determine the level of technical support to be given towards bringing life to the estate. But I can assure you that we will do our possible best to bring electricity to allottees in the estate."
Earlier in her welcome address, Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Lagos State Council, Mrs. Olufunke Fadugba solicited for the assistance of the NEPA chief executive towards electrifying the first journalists estate in Africa.
Meanwhile, Makoju has said the Authority generated about N5.7 billion in August out of the N6 billion target.
The NEPA MD who made this statement during the commissioning of two sub-stations in Lagos however said the ongoing re-engineering and major restructuring in NEPA has proved that the organisation is on course.
On the level of power generation in the country, Makoju said power generation now is put at 4,500 capacity and promised that by the year 2007, NEPA will achieve a capacity of 10,000.
The NEPA Chief Executive also said the power plants being installed will be ready in the next twenty-four to thirty months. According to him, "the work on the power plants is still going on as I'm talking to you now, we are not relenting," he said.
On the issue of capital budget and tariff, Makoju said the capital budget is N44 billion and that tariff will increase based on the level of output by NEPA and responses by their teeming customers. He urged subscribers to regularly pay their bills on time in order to enable the organisation improve its services.
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