By CONSTANCE ATHEKAME

The Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, has called for a bill for stringent punishment for electricity vandals and power theft.

Adelabu made this call in Abuja on Monday while addressing the House Committee on Power who were on oversight function to the ministry.

“There must be punitive punishments recommended for these offences in order to protect power infrastructure,” he said.

The minister also said that there was need for the National Assembly to put in a place a local content bill to encourage local manufacturers of transformers and metres.

“I know there is a bill on the floor of the House, but if there is none, we want to sponsor the bill on local content in the power sector.

“There are lot of fabricated manufacturers around.

Lots of them also manufacture cables and I have gone to a number of these companies and they have very good standards.

“We have transformers in our companies but our contractors will be importing.

We believe local content will help us achieve turnaround in the power,” he said.

Speaking on the achievements of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration especially in the power sector, he said that the ministry had been able to increase power generation from 4,000 megawatts to 5100 megawatts in one year.

According to him, this is a feat no administration has achieved in several years.

He said that in the next few months the administration would take it to 6,500 megawatts.

“I am happy to inform this committee that for the first time in three years, the power sector has achieved generation, transmission, and distribution of 5,155.99 megawatts of power.

“So I believe that 5,000mw is not something we should celebrate. But if you look at it from the perspective of 5,000mw, 2,000mw was achieved in 1984, for the country

“It took us over 35 years to achieve additional 2,000 megawatts that took us to 4,000.

“So, if within a year, an administration 1,100 was achieved, I think it is worthy of celebration. Which will serve as an inspiration for us to do more,” he said.

Speaking, Rep Victor Nwokolo, Chairman House Committee on Power, said that it was important to provide infrastructure and also ensure that they are protected.

“No doubt the good work has been done in the electricity sector. We are also looking at some amendments on how to bring very stiff punishment for the vandals.

“The punishment should not just be for those who are buying. But also those destroying the infrastructure.

Nwokolo said the committee is putting a lot of amendments in place to ensure that vandals are dealt with.

He said that the power sector should find a way of incorporating local vigilante groups in the protection of its infrastructure.

According to him, the better policeman is a policeman that is local as everybody knows what is going on in its community.

“We need to hand over our infrastructures to the community vigilantes even if we need to pay 50,000, 100,000 provided they give us what we want,” he said. (NAN)

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