Covid-19:TCN says Free electricity, mere propaganda

The Transmission Company of Nigeria has said The recent announcement of plan to give Nigerians two months of free electricity as part of palliatives for COVID-19 is nothing more than propaganda that cannot work.

The TCN faulted the announcement by power distribution companies that the Federal Government and the National Assembly would pay for the proposed two-month free electricity for customers.

Discos made the announcement through their umbrella body, the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors.

READ ALSO: Covid 19: Nigerians to enjoy 2-month free electricity

Reacting to the development in Abuja on Thursday, the Managing Director of the TCN, Usman Mohammed, explained that the Federal Government only owns the TCN while the generation and distribution companies were largely owned by private investors.

Mohammed argued that those peddling the information were merely sharing propaganda that would not work.

However, the House of Representatives and electricity distribution companies raised a joint committee on the proposed two-month free power supply on Thursday.

Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, who presided over a meeting in Abuja with the companies and other officials, said the joint panel would work out modalities for the proposed two-month bill waiver for the most vulnerable people in the country.

As part of ongoing efforts to provide free electricity to Nigerians during this COVID-19 lockdown, today the @HouseNGR leadership under my watch met with the power sector stakeholders,the Minister of Power, GMD of NNPC @MKKyari , NERC Chairman, MD of NBET, Heads of all DISCOs… pic.twitter.com/Yy4QJJgibn

— Femi Gbajabiamila (@femigbaja) April 16, 2020