– Babatunde Fashola has secured the release of 300,000 electricity meters belonging to PHCN
– The minister of power, works and housing says the meters were locked up in a warehouse due to a legal battle
– Fashola says he hopes the large volume of meters would be used effectively Discos
Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, has disclosed that he has secured the release of about 300,000 electricity meters which belonged to defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) but were locked up in a warehouse because of a lingering legal case against the contract for their procurement.
According to The Indpendent, Fashola made the disclosure in a YouTube question and answer webinar in Abuja on Monday, March 28.
Fashola says he has ensured the release of 300,000 meters to help boost power supply.
The minister said he hopes that the large volume of meters would be put to good use by the electricity distribution companies (Discos) in the country.
He explained that the contract for the procurement of the meters was awarded by PHCN in 2003 but that legal actions instituted by parties in the contract had stalled their eventual deployment to homes in the 11 electricity distribution networks since then.
According to him, that case had been settled out court and alternative settlement reached by the parties. He said this would ensure that the warehouse where the meters are kept would be opened and they deployed.
In the same vein, the Federal Government has announced plans to add 2,260 megawatts to the national grid with the approval of 14 solar projects.
Fashola said during a meeting with French minister of environment and power, Mrs S Royal at the conference room of the ministry in Abuja, that the project would soon commence as the financial agreement has already been approved.
