Indications have emerged that the Federal Government may probe the N1 billion power equipment abandoned at bonded terminals in Lagos, which is believed to have stalled the power projects in some states, The Nation learnt.
A senior official of the Federal Ministry of Transportation said over 200 containers laden with the equipment belonging to the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, were abandoned at various bonded terminals in Lagos.
The equipment is worth over N1 billion, the official said, noting that had they been installed, there would have been improvement in power supply. About 80 of the containers, findings revealed, have been abandoned at a particular bonded terminal for over six years.
A senior official of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS,who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the remaining 120 containers littered other bonded terminals in the nation’s commercial capital.
The official alleged that some of the equipment imported by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) are rusting at the terminals.
“The practice of abandoning power equipment at these terminals is pure economic sabotage and the Federal Government must treat the officials responsible for the act as such, because the country, in the last two years, imported electricity equipment and tools valued at about $6.71 billion from China and other countries to boost power supply in the country.
“The equipment included electric power generators, transformers, circuit breakers, switchboards, conductors, power capacitors, power converters and electricity meters. Others include distribution boards, power plant valves, power storage devices, switchgears, turbines and voltage regulators. Figures from the World Trade Organisation (WTO) showed that some power equipment valued at $2.89 billion were shipped from China to Nigeria between 2014 and last year.”
The official said other items that came from the US valued at $321 million are among the stockpile of abandoned equipment.
Others are the goods from the United Kingdom with goods valued at $773.8 million; India, $399.1 million; South Africa, $230.3 million; Sweden, $260.4 million and the Republic of Korea, $122.5 million.
