Adebayo Adelabu, the Minister of Power, has advocated for capital punishment for individuals caught vandalizing electricity assets and critical infrastructure.
He made this recommendation during a meeting with heads of agencies in the sector held in Abuja on Monday.
Adelabu emphasized that the proposal for capital punishment forms part of the new power policy document that the Federal Government is pushing through the National Assembly. He stressed the need for stringent measures to deter vandals from causing damage to essential electricity infrastructure.
In addition to addressing vandalism, Adelabu outlined plans to significantly increase power generation capacity in the country. He announced a target of boosting power generation to at least 6,000 megawatts within the next two weeks. The minister expressed dissatisfaction with the current generation levels of 3,000 to 4,000 megawatts, deeming it unacceptable.
Furthermore, Adelabu disclosed that efforts are underway to resolve the issue of debts owed by generation companies. He revealed that the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company is finalizing arrangements to facilitate the payment of outstanding debts to generation companies.
