By Thompson ABISOLA
The management of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) said it had invested over N2.5billion on network expansion to boost power supply to its customers.
The company’s Chief Operating Officer, Mr John Ayodele, said this was contrary to claims that the company had refused to invest in its network.
Ayodele said, apart from investing over N2.5billion on a new power expansion projects, the company had also spent over N11.5billion acquiring meters, upgrading and rehabilitating its infrastructure.
He said the company had procured over 11, 000 prepaid meters to be installed to customers who had already paid, under Credit Advance Payment Metering Implementation (CAPMI), before December.
He said the company had spent over N7 billion on distribution transformers metering, metering of maximum demand, CT- Operated and Statistical meters and non-maximum demand customers.
According to him, the company had installed 14,293 distribution transformers in various locations within its franchise for effective billing and accountability.
The COO said the company also installed 14 Sets of 11kV 7-board panels and 14 500kVA, 33/0.415kV transformers at Imeleke Community, Igbo-Ora under Oyo region.
He said the Disco procured 20 Sets of 33kV Outdoor Circuit Breakers, 25 Sets of 33kv Sectionalizer, 100 Sets of 11kV Sectionalizer, 200 Sets of 33kV Gang Isolator and 500 Sets of 11kV Gang Isolator valued at N 849,185,268.00.
The COO said the Ibadan Disco had made a modest improvement in electricity supply in the last four years of post-privatisation but was still confronted with some challenges.
He said energy theft and vandalisation of equipment posed serious challenge to the company, and that billions of naira had been spent on replaced vandalised equipment.
He said the money meant for expansion and development of the network was used for replacement of vandalised equipment, which was a serious concern to the company.
