TCN faults President Gooluck Jonathan's power generation claims!

The Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, has said that at no time has the country’s electricity generation capacity reached a peak of 5,000 megawatts.

This contradicts President Goodluck Jonathan’s claim during his third Presidential media chat that the combined average power generation capacity from all the power plants in the country moved from less than 3,000 MW in 2007 to a new peak capacity above 5,000 MW.

The President had listed the 5,000MW power generation capacity as one of his administration’s major achievements under the Power Sector Reform agenda.

“Power is one area Nigerians appreciate we are moving. We are yet to get 24 hours of light in our cities, but you would agree with me the difference is clear,” the President told the panel of interviewers, which consisted of Muhammed Abubakar of Nigerian Television Authority, NTA; Martins Oloja of the Guardian; Ikedi Isighuzor of Vanguard and Gbemi Olujobi of the National Mirror.

“We moved, in 2007, from about a little below 3,000 MW production average.

“Now, we are generating more than 5,000MW (of electricity). But because of weak transmission infrastructure, we cannot evacuate,”
the president said.

As at the time President made the claim, TCN, the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, successor company in charge of monitoring electricity transmission data in the country, had given 4,321.3MW as the country’s power generation capacity as at August, 31, 2012.

President’s Spokesman, Reuben Abati, and the Special Adviser to the Minister of Power, Garubadeen Mohammed, did not respond to calls and mails sent to them seeking clarification on the source of the President’s controversial figure.

But, the Assistant General Manager, Public Affairs of TCN, Dave Ifabiyi, said on Wednesday that at no time had the country’s power generation capacity neared 5,000 MW.

“There was never a time like that (5,000MW generation capacity), never. The highest peak generation of 4,517.6 MW was achieved on December 23, 2012,” Mr. Ifabiyi said.

The TCN spokesman, said in a previous statement, that a new peak power generation capacity of 4,502.2 MW was achieved on December 21, 2012, an improvement on the 4,454.1 MW achieved on December 19.

He attributed the achievement to the commitment of the President to fulfill his promise to Nigerians on improved electricity supply.

Mr. Ifabiyi dispelled any insinuation that the TCN was probably not evacuating all the generated electricity when he said that transmission and distribution companies would continue to harness “every available generation to ensure delivery of stable electricity supply” even as more National Integrated Power Projects, NIPPs became functional.

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