The
Federal Government on Thursday said the preferred bidders for the power
generation and distribution companies who met the deadline for the
payment of the 75 per cent balance of their bid prices could now take
over the companies.
The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu
Nebo, said the government had recorded substantial compliance in payment
by the preferred bidders.
He said in a statement made available to
our correspondent, “By the close of transaction on Wednesday night, all
preferred bidders had paid up, except for the Enugu Distribution
Company, while the preferred bidder for the Sapele Power Station had
made substantial part-payment.
“The completion of payment now entitles
the preferred bidders to take full possession of the 15 PHCN unbundled
entities, which include 10 distribution companies and five generation
companies.”
The minister’s statement confirms the story published by The PUNCH on Thursday that 13 investors had completed payments for the power firms.
Nebo described the development as a
great milestone in the power sector reform roadmap that should give hope
to all Nigerians and inspire confidence in the programme.
He said the government would soon
formally declare the Transition Electricity Market to enable the
investors to commence business in earnest and further drive the process.
He reassured electricity consumers and
investors of the government’s resolve to pursue the reform process to
the end, stressing that the emerging transition market would be
meticulously monitored to protect the interest of Nigerians and the
investors.
According to him, the stability of the
national grid is being enhanced to ensure an effective transmission of
the power being generated in the new dispensation.
He added that efforts were also on to
provide more electricity off-grid, especially for rural areas, and noted
that subsidy for low income electricity consumers in the tariff
structure would be sustained.
The minister, however, did not state the
amount generated by the Federal Government following the payment by the
bidders on Wednesday.
Efforts to get the total sum from the
Ministry of Power were not successful as senior officials contacted by
our correspondent stated that the government was not ready to make that
public.
“What people should know now is that the
bidders have paid and have met the deadline, the total amount generated
as of yesterday (Wednesday) is not to be disclosed now,” a senior
official at the ministry told our correspondent.
A text message sent to the mobile phone
of the Director-General, Bureau of Public Enterprises, Mr. Benjamin
Dikki, to ascertain the sum generated from the 75 per cent balance
payment by the investors on Wednesday was not replied. He did not answer
calls to his line as well.
The spokesperson for the BPE, Mr. Chigbo
Anichebe, also refused to answer his calls after promising to get back
to our correspondent earlier in the day.
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