No explosion at Zungeru Power plant – Minister

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, on Monday said there was no explosion at the Zungeru Power plant in Niger State.

The minister made this known in reaction to reports that an explosion occurred at the Zungeru Hydroelectric Dam in Niger State on Monday morning, injuring several people and affecting dam installations.

In a statement Monday evening, Bolaji Tunji, special adviser on strategic communication and media relations to the minister of power, said the report of an explosion is “a figment of the imagination of the purveyors of such information.”

“Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu has refuted reports on some social media platforms that an explosion occurred at Zungeru power on Monday,” Mr Tunji said.

He explained that the Zungeru power plant is on the grid and the plant is running at optimum capacity.

“I have spoken with the Managing Director of Mainstream Energy and I can assure you that nothing of such took place in Zungeru. The plant is working and it continues to supply to the grid.

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“We have video evidence from Zungeru that nothing like that occurred today and whoever is interested should go there to find out. It is rather unfortunate that people will sit down somewhere and cook up this sort of story. It is unpatriotic, such people should desist from creating unnecessary panic,” the statement said.

The minister, however, assured Nigerians of adequate supply of energy.

“We have seen the worst in the sector, we can only get better. We promised an incremental supply of power and that is what is happening now and that’s why we have the present improvement and it will continue.”