The Federal Government has blamed non-availability of gas for the poor power supply in the country.

The Minister of State for Power, Jerry Agba, said this while responding to question on the matter to State House Correspondents in Abuja.

It will be recalled that last month, the Market Operator, a unit in the Transmission Company of Nigeria, (TCN) and electricity distribution companies (DisCos), had disagreed over who is responsible for poor services rendered by the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry, (NESI).

The MO, a unit in the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, is responsible for issuing invoices and collecting payments for ancillary services provided by TCN, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, and other government agencies in the sector.

Asked what was the reason behind the decline in power supply, Agba said: “You’ll agree with me that of late, we’ve had problems with gas supplies for generation companies. We just negotiated with the gas supply companies, NNPC limited to augment gas supplies to distributors at the going local rate.

“Gas was sold to them at export rate, whose price differs and they collection is made on domestic rates. So there was a differential and an argument, however, we had an agreement with the NNPCL and and natural gas company to supply gas to GENCOs commencing from last week, and they are buying at local price not at the export price.

“So with that we hope in the very near future in a week or two should have improved generation and supply. “Distribution is going to be done by DISCOs which is why we are doing everything possible for transmission company to have all the equipment necessary for effective transmission.

“We hope and I assure you that power generation and distribution as well as will improve despite the rains that have come in now,” he said.(Daily Sun)