By Aaron Ossai and Disun Amosun
Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, S. A. Abdulazeez has said that lack of funds was responsible for the non completion the 14 kilometers power lines from Benin to Osogbo awarded in 2010 at the cost of N14 billion.
Speaking when he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Finance, Abdulazeez said the project was supposed to have been completed in two years but regretted that only 60 per cent of the job has so far been done.
He said that for nine years, only N100 million was being released for the project annually which according to him was the main reason for the delay in its competition.
According to the TCN boss, construction of power lines in the country is a very difficult task because according to him, people are not willing to release their lands while those who do, want to make huge money from it through compensation.
He sited example of seven communities that suddenly appeared to claim a portion of the land meant for the power lines after surveying, demanding huge sums of money as compensation which forced TCN to stop work
On the $33 million agreement with Azura Energy to generate 450 Mega Watts of electricity to the national grid, Abdulazeez said that TCN was not part of the agreement referring the Committee to the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Company, NBET.
In his response, the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. James Faleke said the Committee was not satisfied with the presentations the TCN management and directed them to appear before it at a later date with relevant documents especially budget releases.
He also summoned heads of NBET, NERC, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Power, BPP among others to also appear before the Committee.
