NAN-H-61
Electricity
By Aisha Cole
Lagos, Nov. 24, 2016 (NAN) The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) says it has secured the release of 330 overtime containers of electrical equipment from various terminals at the ports.
Its Chief Executive Officer, Dr Tambuwal Atiku, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.
Atiku said with the clearance of the equipment, power supply to Nigerians would soon improve.
Cue in audio 1 (Atiku)
“We have already secured the release of over 330 containers from different terminal operators.
“Materials and equipment that are contained in these containers are going to be moved to site by our various contractors.
“It’s expected that we see the benefits of these by completing those critical projects so that power supply will become available to Nigerians.“
Cue out audio 1 (Atiku)
He said that with the support of the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, TCN would continue to negotiate with terminal operators and shipping companies to secure the release of the remaining overtime containers.
“The negotiation, actually we had started close to seven months; even though we assured terminal operators that within two, three months after; we will be able to pay them the amount that we agreed.
“The budget, you know, was not released in good time.
“So we were not able to comply. So we will still continue negotiating with them and they were good enough to say okay, they still accept our offer of the discount.
“That is why we have got DUNCAN Bonded Terminal to release these ones (77 stranded containers),“ Atiku said.
The Chairman, House Committee on Power, Rep. Daniel Asuquo, said TCN had saved 2 billion naira for the Federal Government through negotiation with the terminal operators.
Cue in audio 2 (Asuquo)
“They have actually negotiated release for 300 (containers) and something. They have paid for 218 (containers).
“So actual payment to the shipping companies, to the terminal operators is 218 (containers).
“DUNCAN terminal happens to be one of those terminals that have the largest number of containers.
“It is proper, logistically, to start the showcase of the release from here. So while DUNCAN is holding 77, there are other terminals that are still having the balance of 218, which has been already negotiated and paid for.
“The total negotiation in question, when actual payments are out, should be a little above a billion.
“They (TCN) have saved 2 billion naira, because the total cost of releasing about 300 and something containers was well over 3.5 billion naira.
“So in the first exercise, based on the negotiation of the minister, terminal operators and the shipment people, we have seen TCN succeed to save 2 billion naira.
“That is quite a lot of money, so we really appreciate it.“
Cue out audio 2 (Asuquo)
The Executive Director of TCN, Sonny Iroche, commended the management’s effort in taking drastic steps in getting the stranded equipment out of the ports.
“The executive management of TCN, when it fell into the hands of the Nigerian counterpart August of this year, puts it as priority to clear these containers because we know how important they are.
“To complete all the projects that had been abandoned for these years.
“We have had negotiations with the ship owners and the terminal operators, mainly by the honourable Minister in March and the second one in September.
“We got waivers of close to 50 per cent and 75 per cent for the outstanding demurrages and the bills.
“We are still paying. We have paid a lot of money; over 218 (containers) and we will continue to clear.
“When you are in production, you need certain ingredients to complete even the cooking of your food at home.
“This is the part of the ingredients to refurbish and expand the National Grid of TCN, “ Iroche said. (NAN)
AIC/AJA/YEE
Edited by Adeleye Ajayi/Emmanuel Yashim
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