Adebayo Adelabu, minister of power, says he receives threat calls from unknown persons who are against the progress in the power sector.
Adelabu spoke on Saturday in Oyo state during Fresh FM’s
‘Political Circuit’ programme.
He said all problems in the power sector are surmountable.
“There will be resistance, people stand in your way,
saboteurs and others. Let me say this for the first time. I receive threat
calls,” he said.
“I am the 49th power
minister in the country. The past ministers were probably bullied and intimated
in their work. It does not take ordinary people to blow up a power transmission
substation with dynamites, and pull down a power line.
“It is an organised crime. It is a cabal and cartel. We are
all Nigerians but we are all Nigerians, we will not run away from ourselves.”
Speaking further on the significant development attained in
his one year in office, he said Nigeria had struggled with electricity
generation of 4,000 megawatts (MW).
He added that in less than a year in office, his development
plans have added more than 1,000MW of electricity to the capacity of the
national grid.
“We have raised the electricity generated capacity from
4,000MW to 5,155MW recorded on the 8th of August, 2024. In the past, it took
the country over 25 years to achieve 2,000MW of power and it took between 1984
and today to achieve additional 2,000MW,” he said.
“When we resumed as minister, the electricity generated was
4,000MW and within a year, we have added over 1,000MW. Our target is to hit
6,000MW with the support of the Federal Government before the end of this
year.”
‘IMPLEMENTATION OF
WORKABLE PROCESSES’
Adelabu said a comprehensive diagnosis of the entire
ministry “with many organised retreats to find workable and practical solutions
to the quagmire in the ministry”.
“First we needed an underlining legislation that will
decentralise control and make states as players in the value chain,” Adelabu
said.
“It took the effort of President (Bola) Tinubu who signed
the Electricity Bill into law which allowed states and private sectors to join
and invest in the sector.
“We implemented the supportive policies to act as guiding
principles. Then we moved to the market where we looked at the cost reflective
tariff as well as infrastructural development, enhancement and upgrade.
Extension to remote areas with the adoption of renewal energy and power asset
security against saboteurs.”
The minister added that energy consumers must be ready to
pay their bills for continuity and sustainability of the many achievements in
the power sector.
Adelabu emphasised that, in contrast to the overall cost of
running generators, Nigerians can afford to pay their energy bills regardless
of cost.
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