Communities must not provide transformers, says Adelabu

The Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, on Monday, directed Distribution Companies (DisCos) in the country to be providing transformers to communities instead of putting the burden on customers.

Adelabu maintained that supply of transformers should be part of infrastructure investment of the power companies, emphasizing that the practice of communities buying transformers must stop.

The minister gave the directive during a working visit to the headquarters of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

Adelabu said:”On infrastructure; that is transformers, the popular thing now is that communities contribute money to acquire transformers. This must stop. It is the responsibility of distribution companies to provide infrastructure and distribute transformers to communities as part of their investment so that performance will improve.

“I want to emphatically say that IBEDC as a distribution company must be ready to provide transformers where they are needed. But the government will not leave you to shoulder it alone. As part of the 2024 budget, we also have plans to intervene in acquiring meters for communities that require them”.

The minister also directed that estimated billing must be cancelled therewith.

The minister said: “Our metering gap is still wide. Our metering is very important to collection and liquidity.

“We are also tired of estimated billing. With estimated billing, someone is cheating someone. We are looking at the possibility of cancelling estimated billing’’.

The minister also disclosed the plan to close the metering gap.