The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, has announced the approval of 108 firms for the supply of meters to electricity consumers in the country.
Fashola made the announcement during the continuation of his neighbourhood consultations/campaign for the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 in the Surulere Local Government of Lagos on Sunday, the News Agency of Nigeria reported.
At his own ward G3, Fashola reeled out the achievements of Buhari which included improved power supply.
He said that 108 metering companies had been given licences to supply meters to address the problem of arbitrary billing in the electricity sector.
He said, “It is the solution of our government by the President to intervene in the metering gaps; people were licensed as Gencos and Discos.
“Discos have the contract to supply meters and we hear the concerns of citizens now saying that they want meters because their bills are going up. So, this time, we are going to create new businesses for meter suppliers under a Meter Asset Provider scheme. That policy has been approved.
“The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has made the regulations around which it will work; 108 companies, small businesses that will also create employments because those companies are now going to be the suppliers of meters. They are going to employ people to install the meters, they are going to buy meters, and they are going to make meters.’’
The minister said the Buhari administration had also provided solar power to 450 shops in Iponri market because the traders organised themselves and a private firm was contracted to handle the project.
He added that government was ready to extend the solar service to Iponri Estate, if the residents were ready to have a service centre.
While seeking the support of his constituents in Ward G3, Fashola appealed to the residents not to sell their votes.
He urged them to vote the All Progressives Congress in the coming general elections.
The minister explained to them that the encumbrances that made people waste time at the polling units while trying to cast votes in the past had been removed.
