As Senate Moves To Probe Obasanjo, Jonathan Over Power Funds

The senate last week ordered for a probe of former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan’s administrations over the funds allocated to the power sector since 1999. JONATHAN NDA- ISAIAH writes

Lack of continuous power is said to be Nigeria ‘s second achille’s heel after corruption, as successive governments have promised a stable power supply all to to avail. Most Nigerians are of the view that solving the power sector problem will solve 60 per cent of Nigeria’s problems as the cost of doing business will automatically go down leading to a reduction in the price of goods and services.

Since the dawn of democracy in 1999, Nigerian governments have spent billions of Naira in an attempt to revive the power sector. It was reported that President Olusegun Obasanjo allegedly spent $6 billion on power in his eight years tenure even as reports have it that from 1999 till date the country has spent over $16billion in reviving the power sector.

However, Obasanjo last year, blamed the rot in the power sector on the administrations that succeeded him adding that the foundation for the little supply of electricity the country is currently enjoying was laid by his administration.

According to him, before his exit in 2007, he projected that the country needed to generate an average of 2,000 megawatts (MW) annually to ensure stability in electricity supply.

He lamented that after he handed over power to the late former President Umaru Yar’Adua, no significant achievement was recorded in the power sector till he died, adding that the situation deteriorated further under Jonathan who governed between May, 2010 and May 29 this year.

“Between Shagari in 1983, until I came back in 1999, there was no single dime invested in power generation. If anything, the ones that were there were allowed to go down.”

“If you will remember, when I came back in 1999, my first Minister of Power was the late Bola Ige. I won’t say Bola didn’t know what he was doing, and he said publicly that he would fix the power problems in six months.

“After one year, Bola Ige couldn’t fathom what was wrong with power. It was riddled with corruption. Then we had no money. People have forgotten that in 1999/2000, the price of crude oil was $9 per barrel.

“When we started having money, we started the National Integrated Power Plant (NIPP). When we said the money we had should be invested in power, my successor didn’t understand; he stopped it.

“If for almost 20 years we did not achieve anything in power generation, then we may not be able to get it again,” Mr. Obasanjo said.

Meanwhile, the 8th Senate, determined to turn around the power sector, dedicated last week to finding lasting solutions. Last Wednesday, the senate urged the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to immediately enforce the abolishment of fixed charges being collected from electricity subscribers across the nation.

The Upper House also urged NERC to inquire into numerous complaints before it by consumers inline with provisions of Section 74 sub-section (1) ( b) of the power sector reform act.

The lawmakers also urged the Electricity distribution companies (DISCOS) to discontinue the practice of compulsory bulk metering of villages and communities in the rural areas as a consumer should have the right to elect to be part of the bulk metering scheme or not.

They called on NERC to sensitize electricity consumers on the remedies available to them in the event of inefficient services by the distribution companies and also urged them to comply with the power reform act and from time to time forward progress report to the National Assembly.

Furthermore, last Thursday, the Senate ordered for a probe of the funds allocated to the power sector from 1999 till date which covers the administrations of both Obasanjo and Jonathan.

The Upper House also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to direct DISCOS to immediately reconnect Maiduguri to the national grid.

The lawmakers also in strong terms condemned the inability of the distribution companies to provide continuous and uninterrupted power supply to all parts of the country.

They also urged the Joint Task Force to clear the insurgents in the area hosting power plants in Maiduguri.

The Senate also constituted an adhoc committee on Power to be chaired by Senator Abubakar Kyari to probe the money spent on the power sector since 1999.

These were fallouts on the motion sponsored by the senate leader, Ali Ndume, tilted “Disconnection of Maiduguri from the National grid and the general power generation in Nigeria”.

Leading the debate, he noted the disconnection of Maiduguri from the National grid and the general power degeneration across the country and the hardship and sufferings occasioned by the lack of electricity supply.

He lamented that the federal government has since spent billions of dollars from 1999 to date on power generation with nothing to show for it.

Ndume expressed concern that inspite of this huge sum of money, a country with a population of over 150 million people produces only 4,600 MW while South Africa with a population of 40 million produces 40 thousand megawatts with additional 11,000MW to come on stream.

He stressed the need for the nation to have alternative sources of power as there are limitations in over-dependence on thermal power with incessant vandalisation of gas pipelines and the abundant coal deposits in Enugu, Kogi and Benue states which can be explored, and sustain the revival of Oji River power station and construction of new power station.

He said “there is a need to ensure that the existing power stations Egbin, Afam, Kainji are maintained and functioning to their full capabilities and to ensure that this steady decline into total darkness is reversed”.

On his part, Senator Danjuma Goje stated that the problem of power was on before 1999, “and I am surprised that up till today the power sector is still grappling with sufficient power supply.

“This motion is apt because there is a need to find out what happened, in spite of the unbundling and huge amount so far spent.”

In the same vein, the Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, lamented Nigeria’s deplorable power generation. For him, after corruption, lack of power is the greatest cause of hardship in Nigeria.

“We thought that with the Power Reform Act and unbundling of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, we would begin to see a relief with regard to power supply; unfortunately, it is not so,” he said.

In his remarks, senate president, Bukola Saraki stated that lack of power supply has held the country back, noting that after corruption, lack of power supply is the next heel of the country adding that Nigerians are expecting the 8th Senate to resolve the issue of power supply once and for all.

Credit: Leadership