The Federal Government on Wednesday blamed host communities for the electricity crisis, which has plagued the nation for about three weeks now.
Speaking with our correspondent at the sidelines of Power Solutions Conference held in Abuja, the Chief Executive Officer, Transmission Company of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Osakue, said host communities were hampering government electricity projects, making it impossible to meet some of the set targets.
He cited the example of transmission lines which traverse several communities, adding that some communities insist on getting one kind of ransom or the other from the Federal Government before allowing transmission lines to run through their towns.
He said, �The construction of transmission lines carries with it a lot of problems and uncertainties. Unlike the building of a gas turbine whereby the contractor only deals with one community, transmission lines cuts across several communities with varying demands. For instance, the contract might affect up to 120 communities and out of that number, you may find some difficult ones whose agitation can prevent you from completing the job.�
He said such agitations and claims for compensations by various communities hampered the work timetable for the completion of such projects.
Osakue explained that the power plant at Omotosho required about 6.5Km transmission line to connect it to the national grid, while Geregu gas turbine needed only 500m because of the line which had existed all along at Ajaokuta.
He added that the plant at Papalanto power plant needed 17Km transmission line, stressing that work was progressing
Speaking with our correspondent, the Managing Director, Power Cap Limited, Mr. Biodun Ogunleye, said, �The current state of power in the country is not because of lack of effort by government but as a result of factors that are beyond their control.�
He said Nigeria was yet to get serious entrepreneurs in the power sector, who would provide new solutions that would take care of the challenges being faced today.
He explained, �Big entrepreneurs are not coming into the sector because the sector has not been completely privatised. Until the PHCN successor companies transit to private hands, only then would entrepreneurs come in and put in their ideas.�
On the fears expressed that Nigerians would not be able to pay for the new electricity bills that would come with private ownership of power plant, Ogunleye said similar fears were expressed when the Global System of Mobile communication was introduced in 2001.
According to him, �A lot of the ways we use electricity will be affected, then people will re-plan their consumption.�