Minister of Power, Mr Joseph Tegbe, on Tuesday, September 15, urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to go after energy thieves and vandals who destroy facilities of the power sector.
He particularly expressed concerns about some companies that have access to power but do not pay electricity bills, saying the government is losing billions of naira annually to this menace.
Tegbe said these when he led a delegation from the ministry on a courtesy visit to the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, at the commission’s headquarters.
The minister lamented that vandalism and energy theft were taking a heavy toll on the power sector, resulting in the loss of billions of naira annually.
He said the ministry lacked the power to prosecute offenders involved in vandalism and energy theft, making collaboration with the EFCC necessary to address the problem.
He said: “There are two areas where we need your intervention. One area is vandalism. There is a lot of vandalism going on in this country. People are stealing manhole covers and other valuables. The vandalisation is affecting our towers.
“The president has charged us to create awareness and also prosecute people (those stealing and buying) but we do not have the power to prosecute offenders. We can only report to you. They can be arrested and prosecuted. We believe the commission can help us in that area. We need to collaborate.
“The second area is energy theft. Companies that have access to power do not pay electricity bills. We are losing billions annually. We need your intervention.”
Tegbe expressed optimism that stronger collaboration between the ministry and the EFCC would help curb criminal activities undermining the sector and strengthen efforts to improve electricity supply in the country.
He also thanked the commission for intervening in the legal dispute that stalled the 215-megawatt Kudendan Power Plant project in Kaduna State.
Olukoyede, at the event, described vandalism and energy theft as revenue fraud and “major concerns and acts of economic sabotage,” pledging the commission’s collaboration with the ministry.
