40bn metering project: Coalition makes case for indigenous manufacturers
The Coalition of Professional Women in Politics has urged the Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, to engage indigenous meter manufacturers with capacity to produce smart meters locally, rather than imports.
The coalition made the appeal following the Federal Government’s allocation of the N40 billion metering project.
The President of the coalition, Dr Atinuke Owolabi, who is a professional engineer, made this appeal in an open letter addressed to the minister on Tuesday in Lagos.
Owolabi said that the minister needed to reconsider decision to give the project to an allegedly unknown firm in power sector: De Haryor Global Services, given to be in charge of the metering project.
According to her, efforts should be made to give due consideration to our indigenous meter manufacturers who have the capacity to produce meters locally so as to create jobs, as against those who rely on importation.
Owolabi, also the Convener of TinubuShettima Professional Ambassadors, a support group for the actualisation of Sen. Bola Tinubu’s presidential ambition in 2023, said that the group was disheartened by the decision.
“It appears that indigenous meters manufacturers were not included in the process, disregarding their potential contribution to our economy and employment opportunities for our youth.
“De Haryor Global Services is not a meter assembling plants and not a known Meter Services Provider ( MAP) neither is it a MAP Licensee with proven pedigree.
“It lacks the capacity to provide employment opportunities for our engineering graduates,” Owolabi said.
According to her, it is imperative that the government support our indigenous meters assembling companies and prioritise the empowerment of our own people over individual gains.
“We cannot afford to hinder the progress of our nation by neglecting our local businesses as represented by the call for inclusive growth and upscaling of the local content in the entire gamut of metering deployment to strategic military formations/barracks nationwide.
“There is a vast pool of engineering graduates waiting to be employed, and it is disheartening to see them overlooked due to lack of support from Federal Ministry of Power.
“I implore you as Honourable Minister of Power to reconsider your decision and give due consideration to our indigenous meter manufacturers.
“Failing to do so will not only perpetuate unemployment among our youth but also hinder the growth of our nation,” she said.
According to her, De Haryor Global Services handling the project is just a business name or one of the newly incorporated entity registered specifically as an SPV for the mass metering of military formations/ barracks nation wide.
“It has no factory/meter assembling plant in Nigeria.
“By implications, De Haryor Global Services will import N40 Billion Naira worth of meters from Asian countries and in the process exporting jobs meant for Nigerians to other climes and further increase the demand for forex.
“It is equally worthy of note to state that the award of the sum of N40 Billion Naira worth of importation of Pre Paid Meters ( as finished product from China ) was unilaterally done without Advertisement/ Call For Public Bidding.
“No Public Tender and in gross violation of Public Procurement Act. It’s high time we prioritised the collective and overall primary interests of the Nation over primordial/ smaller interests.
The Federal Government has begun the mass metering of the Nigerian Army formations nationwide being handled by De Haryor Global Services.
Speaking at the flag-off of the exercise at the headquarters of the 9th Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Ikeja military cantonment, Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu said the exercise would end the era of estimated billings in the power sector.
Adelabu added that the exercise would be in phases with the Ikeja cantonment being the first phase of the exercise, adding that the current exercise would last for six weeks before the second phase begins.
He explained that for the current exercise, the sum of N12.7 billion has been released out of a total of N40bn for the mass metering project.
.
