FG Recovers 693 Abandoned Containers Of Power Equipment Left At Ports For 15 Years

The Transition Company of Nigeria (TCN) yesterday said that it had recovered more than 693 containers of power equipment abandoned at ports for up to 15 years due to tariff. The managing director of TCN, Mr Usman Mohammed, who revealed this in a statement in Lagos, said the recovery was achieved last week. He added that some of the containers had been stranded at various ports for about 15 years.

The TCN boss further disclosed that some of the power equipment had been auctioned by the Nigeria Customs Service, and that the TCN would go after the auctioneers to recover the containers. “TCN still has over 200 other containers auctioned by the Customs outside the ports,’’ he said. “We were able to recover 693 containers as of last week, out of a total of 800 containers that have been in the ports. “Some of these containers have been there for 15 years.

Others have been auctioned and we had to trace the auctioneers to get the containers. “The government is supporting us. And with the same way they are supporting us, I know that as government has beamed its searchlight on the distribution companies, they are going to solve the problems with power distribution.’’

It will be recalled that following years of poor performance by government-run electricity agencies, the power sector was privatised by the previous administration during which it was unbundled into three broad parts – power generation, transmission and distribution. While two parts were sold to private generating companies (Gencos) and distribution companies (Discos), government retained the transmission aspect, which is Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). Meanwhile, Mohammed had revealed that the government had approved that the TCN anchor the N72 billion the federal government planned to invest in the 11 electricity distribution companies in Nigeria. According to him, the minister of power, works and housing, Babatunde Fashola, got the approval for the TCN to manage the N72 billion planned investment in the Discos, which is geared towards ensuring that electricity meters are made available to consumers to halt the vexatious phenomenon of estimated billing.