The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Raji Fashola has directed the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN to urgently carry out audit of its equipments with the view to ascertaining their integrity for enhanced service delivery.
The Minister who spoke at the inauguration of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN)’s 60MVA Mobile Transformers at Ajah 330/132/33kv transmission substation in Lagos, expressed concern over incessant break down of facilities at substations.
Fashola who has observed that lack of maintenance of equipment has frequently resulted into shutting down of many TCN substations in the country, said proactive measures are germane at this point to ensure the facilities are properly maintained.
According to the minister, substations do shut down suddenly and then there is no part available to replace faulty or damaged equipments, “So, we need to know the regular part that frequently breakdown so that we can make provision for it.
“Go into your records and let us know the parts that damage frequently or once in six months, What damage that needs to be upgraded. All these will help us to plan ahead because they are all mechanical thing”, he said, adding “We can’t be reacting all the time, we must be proactive,” he said.
The Minister said that substations should take an inventory of all part that damage regular and send it to the ministry to get spare parts.
“If you cannot plan maintenance, you cannot provide service.
“Distribution Companies (DISCOs) want power and it not good to have our substation shutting down all the time,” he said.
Fashola said the commissioning of additional 60MVA mobile transformer in Ajah substation would increase transformer capacity to 280mva.
According to him, this is an improvement we are talking about in transmission of power supply.
Mr Geoffrey Nwokoye, the General Manager, TCN Lagos Region said the additional mobile transformer would improve transmission of power supply to residents of Alaguntan, Badore, Ibeju and Lakwe environs.
Nwokoye assured residents of the area that problems associated with transmission constrain in the areas were over.
Mr Oladele Amoda, the Chief Executive Officer, Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) said the new transformer would enable the DISCOs to serve its numerous consumers in the area better.
Amoda said the commissioning of the transformer was an additional improvement in the evacuating of energy from Generation Companies (GENCOs).