The Federal Government has revealed that a poor maintenance culture and inadequate and aged equipment, among other challenges, are the underlying reasons for the incessant multiple collapses of the national power grid witnessed in recent months.
It also stated that the high voltage of electricity surpassing the capacity of its equipment caused the blackout witnessed on October 14 and 19, 2024.
The Chairman of the investigative committee probing reasons for grid collapse, Nafisatu Asabe Ali, revealed this during the report presentation at ministry headquarters on Wednesday in Abuja.
This came barely 24 hours after the latest collapse that occurred on Tuesday, making it the 10th time the national grid would collapse in 2024 alone.
According to her, the investigative team observed similar challenges and problems affecting all stations during its probe.
She said the investigative team examined the grid collapse incident that occurred on October 14 and 19 and found out that the shattering of lightning arrestors in Jebba and Oshogbo transmission stations and the explosion of a CT also in Jebba Station were reasons for both incidents.
According to her, “For the event on the 14th, lightning arrestors in Jebba and Oshogbo shattered. The one in Jebba was for the shunt reactor and this was caused by high voltage. Subsequently, we had the tripping of multiple 330kV lines. It kept going until it became major.
“The remote cause of that is the unavailability of the second reactor in Jebba, and that is because Jebba, by the design of the network and sometimes the topology of the network at a particular time is very prone to high voltage.”
We had two shunt reactors in Jebba before this event, however, one packed up. It is faulty, and so the voltage rose to about 400KV, which is beyond the threshold. High voltage degrades equipment insulation.
“If you expose equipment to high voltages for a long time, it degrades the insulation. And, of course, there’s a risk of failure. So, that was a remote cause for that. But the underlying causes are aged equipment. In our findings, we confirmed that Jebba was commissioned in 1968. Some of the equipment was commissioned alongside the substation. So, aged equipment. And maintenance culture is also an issue.”
The committee listed several factors affecting the management including vandalism of power infrastructures, lack of free governors at power generation plants, uncoordinated maintenance schedules, and lack of adequate human capacity.
Responding to this, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, said the ministry would push for additional funding from the 2024 Supplementary Budget and the 2025 Appropriation Bill to resolve the financial implications of strategies needed to curb the incessant grid collapse.
He expressed optimism that the frequent collapses of the Nigerian power grid system could be curbed with the implementation of far-reaching reforms, stating that “this incessant grid collapse, which is quite unfortunate and is worrisome to me personally as the Honorable Minister of Power overseeing this sector.”
Adelabu added that he would present an amended report to aid his submission to Tinubu owing to the financial implications.
He said, “Today’s meeting is to receive a report on the agency committee set up about two and a half weeks ago, to reveal the root cause of the incessant grid disturbances that we have experienced in the past few months. This is not good for us as a country. It is not good for us as a power sector. It is not good for us as a ministry of power and other agencies.”
The committee also listed recommendations for the audit and tests of existing equipment and improvement in maintenance of the transmission equipment and lines, installation of harmonics filters by Disco and Genco customers, decentralisation of TCN central store, enforcement of Free Governor Mode of Operation and removal of ad-lash taped optic fibre for Optical Ground Wires.
Truly, it has been said and proven that Tinubu's urchins, BATerians, and paid agents are the most unreasonable and senseless set of Homo sapiens to have ever emerged on the surface of the Earth.
•Police deny maltreatment as released protesters narrate three-month ordeal behind bars
After being granted reprieve by President Bola Tinubu on Monday, several minors, aged between 14 and 17, who were arrested during August’s #EndBadGovernance nationwide protests against hardship in the country, have shared their harrowing experiences while in custody with The PUNCH.
On Friday, 76 suspects, including 32 minors – who were arrested during the protest – were arraigned by the Inspector-General of Police on 10 counts bordering on treason, intent to destabilise Nigeria and inciting to mutiny by calling on the military to take over the government from President Tinubu, among others.
Four of the minors, who looked visibly malnourished, collapsed during court proceedings before Justice Obiora Egwuatu at the Abuja division of the Federal High Court.
It sparked outcry across the country, with civil society groups and rights activists blaming the police and the government over their treatment of the minors from Kano and Kaduna states.
Following the uproar, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, during an emergency briefing on Monday, told State House correspondents at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja that President Tinubu had directed the immediate release of all the minors.
Consequently, the Abuja High Court in Abuja struck out the charges brought against the protesters by the police.
Idris said the President also “directed that all the law enforcement agents involved in the arrest and the legal processes will be investigated, and if there are any infractions found to have been committed by any official of Government, be him a law enforcement agency, or whoever that person may be appropriate, disciplinary action will be taken against him or her.”
On Tuesday, Vice President Kashim Shettima, before handing over the minors to the Governor of Kano State, Abba Kabir Yusuf, and his Kaduna counterpart, Uba Sani, argued that President Tinubu’s decision, made on humanitarian grounds despite evidence of wrongdoing, was an opportunity for personal reform.
The minors returned to Kano and Kaduna on Tuesday night with tales of woes, describing their experiences while in custody as “hellish.”
Minors narrate ordeal
Those from from Kano have been kept at the Muhammadu Buhari Specialist Hospital, where they are being checked and treated by a team of medical personnel. They are expected to remain in the hospital for five days, before they would be reunited with their families.
Some of them, who spoke to The PUNCH at the Muhammadu Buhari Specialist Hospital where they were taken on their return to Kano on Tuesday night, said they were denied food by the government officials for several days.
“We saw hell; we suffered a lot,” one of the minors, Umar Ali, 15, said. “We sometimes stayed for three days without food. And even when we were given food, it was always not enough.”
Ali denied involvement in the protest saying he was arrested on his way to the market at Kwana Hudu in Ungoggo Local Government Area of the state, where he usually does menial jobs to sustain himself.
He added that they were kept in the dark while under custody, which he said affected some of them when they went for trial.
“We hardly saw sunlight in the place where we were kept, hence the reason why some of us could not see very well when we were brought to the court,” he said.
Another minor, Ibrahim Aliyu Musa, who was transferred from Kano to Abuja a day after his arrest, said he and others were kept in the same place with hardened criminals.
“I was among those that were kept in the same place with hardened criminals and we sometimes spent a number of days without food.
“The food was nothing to write home about, they were inadequate and tasteless. They served us beans in the morning, rice at lunch time and Gabza for dinner. Gabza is normally prepared for inmates due to their large number. So, we had to eat Gabza so as to keep body and soul moving,” Musa added.
Also narrating his ordeal, a 13-year-old boy, who said he was arrested at Gadon Kaya in Gwale Local Government Area, said he was accused of flying the Russian flag, which he denied doing.
“I was arrested on the August 15 and moved to Abuja the following day. We were kept at Abattoir SARS in Abuja. We were kept with hardened criminals for the number of days we were there,” he said.
Protesters given N100,000
The 39 detained protesters from Kaduna State on Wednesday reunited with their families.
The children were given N100,000 and A18s model Itel android phones each by the Kaduna State Government.
The brief ceremony was held at the Children Home along Kauru road in the metropolis, with Governor Uba Sani promising to rehabilitate and empower the released #EndBadGovernance protesters from the state.
This, the governor said, provided they turned a new leaf and become responsible and law abiding members of the society.
Speaking to journalists after the protesters were released, the Secretary to the Kaduna State Government, Dr Abdulkadir Muazu Meyere, who spoke on behalf of Governor Sani, disclosed that the governor had directed him to collect the credentials of those who had completed their tertiary education.
“The governor promised that some of them would be given start-up capital to commence trading, others would be taught skills and some given employment,” he said.
However, the SSG noted that they would track the activities and conduct of all the 39 minors to ensure they were of good behaviour “before these benefits will be extended to them.”
Meyere noted that the state government had taken the details of the released detainees, including contact addresses, telephone numbers and names of their next-of-kin for easy tracking and monitoring.
According to him, the minors were all medically examined and given psycho-social counseling on the need to change for the better, in order to be useful to themselves and the society at large.
“Both Islamic and Christian religious leaders preached to them to embrace the teachings of their faith and to avoid bad company, so as to benefit from God’s blessings here and in the hereafter,” he said.
Meanwhile, one of the released minors, Hassan Mohammed, a graduate of Economics from the Kampala University, narrated his ordeal during his 90 days incarceration at the Kuje Prison, Abuja.
Mohammed said, “I was arrested on August 5 along Ahmadu Bello Way here in Kaduna. When they took us to the State Criminal Investigation Department, they asked why we were protesting and we explained. “They took our statements and from there they took us to Abuja FCID, where we spent 18 days before they took us to Kuje Prison.
On how they were feeding while at the Kuje Prison, he added, “Honestly, it was terribly bad, not good at all. They gave us small portions of garri and beans. It was a bad experience being in that place.”
Police deny claims
But the Nigeria Police Force denied maltreating the minors while reacting to the allegations by the released protesters.
Speaking with one of our correspondents on Wednesday, Force spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi, disclosed that the minors were never kept with criminals.
He added that the narrative was meant to undermine the credibility of the force.
Adejobi said, “We never maltreated or dehumanised the suspects. That’s not true. In fact, they were not kept with hardened criminals at all. There are many wrong narratives out there to undermine the credibility of the police.”
Borno minors detained
Meanwhile, findings by The PUNCH show that despite the presidential order to release minors arrested in connection with the August protests, three Mmnors are still in detention in the Borno State Juvenile home.
The police had on Monday arraigned 19 suspects, including the three minors, before Justice Aisha Mohammed Ali at the Borno State High Court 10, Maiduguri for allegedly participating in the protests.
The minors, who are between age 14 and 17, were alleged to have joined a social media group in Hausa named Zanga-Zanga (meaning “protest”) on WhatsApp and TikTok, where they reportedly agreed to take arms against the state.
A source at the state juvenile facility, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said immediately the case was adjourned in court on Monday, the minors were returned to the juvenile facility while the adults were remanded in prison.
“As I speak with you, they (minors) are still in detention,” our source said.
Also, the Chairman, Civil Liberty Organisation, Borno State chapter, Hassan Dahiru, said they were yet to be notified of the minors’ release.
“We have not received any information about their release,” Dahiru told The PUNCH. “As a matter of fact, as one of the leading groups championing their release, we intend to visit the detention facility tomorrow (today).”
Sanusi lauds Tinubu
The Emir of Kano, Mohammad Sunusi II, on Wednesday commended President Tinubu for the release of the minors.
The monarch lauded Tinubu during his visit to the minors at the Muhammadu Buhari Specialist Hospital, Kano.
“This compassionate gesture has brought relief to the affected families and demonstrates the President’s commitment to protecting the welfare of vulnerable citizens, especially children,” he said.
According to the Emir, many of the arrested minors were students on their way to school in the metropolis.
He also thanked Governor Yusuf for transporting the victims to Kano and providing medical assistance for them
Itaekuson3: This video: TINUBU'S PLANS FAILED | FIRST LADY & NSA TURN TO GOD TO COME FIX ROAD, BRING FOOD COSTS & FUEL PRICES DOWN is about First Lady, NSA to lead national prayer for Nigeria’s economic turnaround. First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu will spearhead a national prayer session aimed at addressing Nigeria’s numerous challenges.
helinues: Deji, you are too slow. Is it only Nigeria electoral commission have flops?
Btw, opportunity comes in different form oo even in times of trouble. Take a look at those minors that was detained for months but now meeting with the Olori Oko bam bam inside Aso rock, a place where others spent millions to get to but they just can't, I mean on visiting.
Don't give up in life, you don't know what future holds for you
ONLY one section of Nigeria took these elections personal. The Perennial Losers.
Others don't give a shiit.
I didn't like the idea of a female President. She's dumb as Hell. But no matter who enters, my income is unaffected.
Anti immigration sentiment is on the rise globally...this is another indicator.
The first assassination attempt real or fake really boosted Trump. Like his foes wanted him stopped at all costs. The picture was extra iconic too.
Trump should please deport lots of Africans. We have to learn to fix our issues not running off to developed lands. In 2024, people shouldn't still be advised to not defecate I'm their water sources.
Are you referring to the presidency that has become a loser, dishing out shambolic 'bolekaja' economic policy prescriptions?
Truly, it has been said and proven that Tinubu's urchinstons, BATerians, and paid agents are the most unreasonable and senseless set of Homo sapiens to have ever emerged on the surface of the Earth.
A Civil Society Organization, CSO, TAP Initiative, on Tuesday, filed a petition before the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC, demanding the prosecution of some officials that were involved in the recent governorship election that held in Edo State.
Specifically, the petitioner called for a thorough investigation and trial of some of the adhoc staff the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, used for the conduct of the election, alleging that they engaged in acts of forgery.
The CSO, which submitted the petition at the headquarters of the ICPC in Abuja, said it would not hesitate to seek a fiat from the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, should the anti-corruption agency fail to act on its demand.
Speaking with journalists shortly after the petition was accepted by the ICPC on Tuesday, the Executive Director of TAP Initiative, Mr. Martin Obono, further threatened to petition the European Union and other international agencies to stop sending funds INEC, saying it appeared the electoral body “has taken over rigging from politicians.”
According to the group, it was worried that INEC allowed its officials to be compromised during elections.
Obono said his organization discovered the alleged criminal action of some INEC staff members, after it obtained the Certified True Copies (CTC) of the Edo governorship election results.
He told newsmen that the group uncovered lots of discrepancies in the CTC of the election results, prominent among which he said included the absence of signatures of polling unit agents and presiding officers.
More so, the group said the discrepancies in the certified election results propelled it to engage a forensic expert from South Africa, who carried out analysis that established that there were manipulation of results at the collation centers.
It said an analysis conducted by the expert established that forms EC8A were compromised at the collation centers where only one person signed all the documents, adding that the forms bore same serial numbers but different election results.
“It is regrettable that INEC is involved in institutional electoral fraud. INEC ought to be a gate keeper but it is now involved in direct rigging, and changing the will of the people.
“We will take a step further to write the United Kingdom, United States of America, European Union and other foreign donors to stop funding election in Nigeria, since they are being defrauded by the electoral body,” the petitioner stated.
The group, therefore, demanded that all those involved in subverting the will of the electorates must be brought to justice, saying it was not satisfied with the apology that was recently tendered by INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmud Yakubu.
“We are aware of the apology that was recently tendered by INEC Chairman, but apology does not erase criminality committed against the people,” Obono added.
Politics › Re: National Grid Collapses 2nd Time In 3 Days by Bobloco: 1:53pm On Nov 07, 2024
