THE federal government, yesterday, disclosed that plans had been concluded to move from the present position of power generation of 4,500 to 10,000 megawatts by December.
Speaking when she appeared before the Senate Committee on Power, Steel Development and Metallurgy, led by Senator Phillip Adudua, PDP, FCT, Minister of State for Power, Hajia Zainab Kuchi, told the senators that the federal government had completed the process of privatisation of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN.
Kuchi, who disclosed that N347 billion was required for increase in transmission of megawatts, said the generating and transmission companies could not be handed over yet as the ministry was poised to ensure that they were in good shape before their hand over to the successor companies.
She raised alarm that the handover had been hampered by lack of fund, adding that the ministry had been running on zero allocation.
The minister noted that some six months into the 2013 fiscal year, the Ministry of Power had been running on N5 billion, being the remnant of its 2012 allocation.
Hajia Kuchi assured that there would be no problem paying for labour, adding that government had enough in its coffers to pay by July.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Power, Senator Philip Aduda, who noted that Nigerians were no longer ready to take excuses for non-availability of electricity, said people were running of out of patience.