Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has vowed to do all in his power to bring to an end, the epileptic power supply that has hindered the nation’s industrial and economic development.
Fashola, who was fielding questions from journalists recently on whether there would be an end to the epileptic power situation in the country, said that having been properly briefed “in papers, files and memos” since he assumed office, of the situation in the sector, he had taken it upon himself to go round the country and have an on the spot assessment of the situation.
The minister, however noted that what he had seen so far had given him hope that there would be light at the end of the tunnel.
“This problem can be solved, it is a problem that has challenged us for a long time, not only am I going around to understand the situation, am at Ugwuaji now in Enugu, I’m going around to understand what I’m supposed to manage”, he said.
He continued: “I’ve been briefed in papers, in files and in memo, am going from power plants to power plants, from transmission sites to transmission sites, what I see convinces me that this problem can be solved, I’m optimistic that it can be solved, it just needs for us as a people to understand the system better and know how it works.
“I am going to be dedicating my time to breaking down all technical issues that have been sounding so heavy over decades so that the average Nigerian can understand how the system works. Our people must know that if people break down pipelines, you know that you are breaking the system, no matter how angry you are, a broken pipeline is going to affect you because you won’t have power, if people feel that the best way to secure employment for their colleagues in the union is to shut down the power plants, the truth is that they are going to hurt more people than the people they seek to protect”.
According to Fashola, “If people think that if there is a restructuring going on in any government agency, and they fear that most of their colleagues will lose work and the answer is to shut down gas stations, the truth is that more people that they seek to protect would be hurt than those they want their jobs secured, for me everybody must understand how your action or inaction affects the system, once this is done, I think I see a better tomorrow clearly”.
