Most of the statements made last week Monday by the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, about the power sector are false, according to the electricity distribution companies.

They said on Tuesday, in a document issued by the Executive Director, Research and Advocacy, Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors, Sunday Oduntan, that comments made by the minister on metering, power generation and transmission capacities and stranded electricity, among others, were significantly distorted. Fashola had briefed journalists on the status of Nigeria’s power sector at the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing in Abuja last week and identified a lot of lapses on the part of the Discos.

But in a 28-page document released in Abuja on Tuesday, the Discos responded directly to about 14 issues raised by the minister and asserted that the ministry had consistently promoted policies that had resulted in sector-wide confusion, infringed on the responsibilities of the various sector players, imposed its agenda on the regulator, compromising its independence, created lack of respect for contracts as well as distorted and redefined the law of privatisation.

Source: The Punch