By YANGE IKYAA
The managing director and chief executive officer of the Transmission Company of Nigeria(TCN), Engr. Dr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, has scored the performance of TCN high, noting that the company has been vigorously achieving its five-point agenda for the year 2022, which covers general reforms and power grid visibility.
Speaking at a three-day management retreat in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State recently, Engr. Abdulaziz, lauded the TCN management and staff of the company for keenly driving the agenda.
“As you all know, we started this year with an unwavering simple, realistic and definite 5-point agenda for the organization. The agenda has been thriving on ease of operation, credibility, teamwork and focus on excellence in the organization,” he said.
The TCN boss, who detailed how the organization has progressed so far, described the milestones achieved to include enhanced grid visibility and stability through integrated system planning using available technologies for stop gap solutions; as well as enhancing human resources development, performance improvement, through staff skills optimization and training.
The other three planks of the agenda, he said, are ensuring efficiency in project execution and management for service delivery in line with the needs of the Nigerian electricity supply industry (NESI), ensuring efficient equipment maintenance for high viability and availability, and ensuring efficient prime visibility and management.
“It is my hope that we will achieve even much more as evidenced by the results recorded so far this year. I believe also that, it is a work in progress,” he reiterated.
He noted that the second Management Retreat came at a very critical time in the nation’s history and the NESI as Nigerians prepare to go to the polls at the turn of next year.
“So, as an organization whose operation is very critical and strategic to national economic development, we should brace up to meet the expectations of the incoming administration as professionals in the electricity industry,” the TCN boss further explained.
He tasked the entire management team on accountability, saying “as we examine what we have done right, what we have to do better and our challenges.”
Abdulaziz also noted that no matter how well the TCN team had performed, there was still room to do better always.
According to him, “we set targets for ourselves, we have accomplished quite a lot and I commend you all. However, we must not rest on our oars just yet.”
The TCN helmsman tasked the relevant departments to ensure scheduled maintenance of all transformers, especially the old ones, which must be carried out in a timely manner, noting that as the harmattan season intensifies, all the RTMs must ensure that weed, 5 meters from behind the perimeter wall fencing of all substations were cleared to prevent fire set by individuals from entering into the substation.
The governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel, represented by the commissioner of power and petroleum development, Dr John Etim, commended TCN for holding the Retreat as a critical infrastructure provider and operator.
In his own words, “as an organization with the important mandate to enhance electricity transmission in this country, there was need for such periodic Retreats to review, evaluate and plan for the attainment of the vision, mission and objectives of TCN.” .
He also enjoined the participants to visit the site for the 132/33kV power transmission substation with two 60MVA power transformers in Oron, which he said, the State had provided land for TCN to build, as well as a transmission line from Eket to Oron.
His words: “This administration will continue to cooperate and collaborate with TCN to ensure the provision of stable and affordable electricity to the citizens of the state.”
The retreat had in attendance the executive directors of TCN, regional managers, general managers and other strategic members of the TCN family. Also, present were the permanent secretary, ministry of power in the state, Dr Valerie Obot, and other directors from the ministry.