ADVERTISEMENT
  • The Membership Club
  • #EndSARS Dashboard
  • PT Hausa
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
Monday, May 23, 2022
Premium Times Nigeria
  • Home
  • Gender
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • News Reports
    • Special Reports and Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Special Reports/Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • #EndSARS Dashboard
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • #PandoraPapers
  • AUN-PT Data Hub
  • Home
  • Gender
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • News Reports
    • Special Reports and Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Special Reports/Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • #EndSARS Dashboard
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • #PandoraPapers
  • AUN-PT Data Hub
Premium Times Nigeria
BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Former Lagos state governor, Babatunde Fashola

Nigeria’s Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola. [PHOTO CREDIT: Energy Mix Report]

Fashola under fire over claims govt isn’t responsible for poor electricity

byOladeinde Olawoyin
December 14, 2018
3 min read

Nigeria’s Minister of Power , Works and Housing , Babatunde Fashola, has sparked outrage after saying the federal government should not be blamed for poor electricity supply across the country.

The minister said, businessmen operating in the sector should be blamed for the poor state of electricity supply to Nigerians.

Mr Fashola made the declaration while speaking at the Nextier Power Dialogue on Wednesday night in Abuja, Punch reported Thursday.

The minister argued that since the sector had been privatised, it was not the Nigerian government’s fault if citizens fail to enjoy to stable electricity supply.

“There are problems without a doubt and we must deal with them,” the minister said.

“But let me remind you, all of the assets that he Ministry of Power used to control power were sold by the last administration before I came . And so if you don’ t have power , it is not the government ’s problem. Let us be honest,” he was quoted by the newspaper as saying.

“The people who are operating the power sector , generation and distribution are now privately owned companies . I am here because I am concerned . If your telephone is not working , it is not the minister of communication that you go to. Let us be very clear .”

The minister explained that in other sectors of the economy, the blame of poor services do not necessarily go to the government but those operating in the sector.

He said, “For those of you who want to weaponise electricity , face the businessmen who have taken it up.

“Let us be honest, if your bank over -charges you interest, is it the Minister of Finance you go to? So , let ’s be clear . This is now a private business by an Act of Parliament 2005.

“My role is regulatory , oversight and policy , but I have a problem which is the fact that I can ’t see a problem and turn my back; so I ’m getting involved . So the people you should be talking to about transformers is not me , the ministry doesn ’t supply transformers anymore .”

Punch reports that the minister also denied that he once said a serious government would fix power sector challenges within six months and challenged participants at the dialogue and members of the public to produce any video where he made such a comment.

“I have the video of what I said and where I said it and I think it was in 2014 in the run -up to the election and I was in Lekki, Lagos ,” Mr Fashola added.

The minister explained that the comment was made during the inauguration of the Lekki Independent Power Project when, arguing that his statement dwelt on connection of residents of Lekki to the IPP within six months if the state government had received the approval to do so.

The minister has however come under heavy criticism over the recent comment.

Many Nigerians took to their social media pages Thursday to berate the minister’s comment.

Matt Etta, a twitter user said, “Imagine #Fashola saying his not to be blamed for the Power problem in #Nigeria because the previous administration privatized everything! Wait! Is it not then the job of the Power Ministry to keep them in checks?Why is he the Power Minister then? Infact let him blame me! Smh”.

Another user, Olamide Ogunduyile, wrote: “This is so irresponsible by #Fashola. Like, there are millions that don’t have power in Nigeria yet you make comments that put the blame on them. #DoBetter.”

Tweeting via @ArtytudeC, another twitter user made hilarious allusion to the game of football, claiming Mr Fashola scored an “own goal”.

“So #Fashola just scored a very damning own goal. Please someone should let him know that VAR cannot help him on this one,” the twitter user wrote.

Lanre Suraj, head of the Human and Environmental Development Agenda, HEDA, told PREMIUM TIMES on Friday that the minister gets carried away by arrogance of power.

“The minister seldom gets carried away with arrogance of office in expression,” Mr Suraj said.

“Lagosians, especially civil servants have experiences of similar outburst. The minister should be excused by Nigerians. He is in the class of public office holders with mentality of superiority over citizens and deserves to be worshipped for occupying public office.”

Advertisements



Farooq Kperogi, public affairs commentator, also berated the minister in a tweet on his Twitter page.

He tweeted: “On July 12, 2014, Fashola said “d only way you & I’ll have electricity in this country is to vote out d PDP.” PDP was voted out in 2015 & he became Power Minister. After 4 years, he now says ‘It’s not FG’s problem if Nigerians lack electricity.’ That’s called a bait & switch scam.”

  • WhatsApp
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
  • Telegram
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket

CITIZEN-FM AD


Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility

Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.

For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.

By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.

Donate


TEXT AD: Why women cheat: what every Nigerian man should know







PT Mag Campaign AD

Previous Post

Linda Ikeji apologises to fans for having child out of wedlock

Next Post

Court sacks Duke as SDP presidential candidate, picks Jerry Gana

Oladeinde Olawoyin

Oladeinde Olawoyin

Oladeinde Olawoyin reports Business & Economy, Development and Lagos Metro at PREMIUM TIMES. A First Class graduate of Mass Communication from the University of Ilorin, Ilorin, he was nominated in the journalism category of The Future Awards Africa in 2017. Aside maintaining a column titled ‘SATURDAY SATIRE’, he also writes art and culture pieces on weekends. Twitter: @Ola_deinde

More News

Pat Asadu

Rep loses bid to return for fifth term

May 23, 2022
PEG Africa agents prepare to install a solar-powered fridge panel in Lahou-Kpanda, Ivory Coast, February 25, 2021. Photo taken on February 25, 2021. REUTERS / Luc Gnago - RC2SZL9RVX2F

Oxford Climate Journalism Network announces second cohort

May 23, 2022
A collage of UBA, Learn Africa and Presco Company logos

Presco, Learn Africa, UBA top stocks to watch this week

May 23, 2022
A federal lawmaker in Akwa Ibom State, Emmanuel Ukpong-Udo

2023: PDP Reps member refuses to participate in party’s primaries

May 23, 2022
APC Secretariat

APC postpones screening of presidential aspirants indefinitely

May 22, 2022
Kayode Fayemi [PHOTO CREDIT: @JKayodeFayemi]

2023: Fayemi promises modern security approach

May 22, 2022
Next Post
former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke

Court sacks Duke as SDP presidential candidate, picks Jerry Gana

FCT-Gold (1)

National Sports Festival: FCT wins football gold

Read All Comment

Search

AUN-PT Ad





Transport-Technology


Stanbic Ad


Access Bank Ad





Glo Ad


Subscribe to News via Email

Enter your email address and receive notifications of news by email.

Join 1,844,515 other subscribers.

Advertisement






netherland biz school Advert



Zenith Advert

ADVERTISEMENT

Our Digital Network

  • PT Hausa
  • Election Centre
  • Human Trafficking Investigation
  • Centre for Investigative Journalism
  • National Conference
  • Press Attack Tracker
  • PT Academy
  • Dubawa
  • LeaksNG
  • Campus Reporter

Resources

  • Oil & Gas Facts
  • List of Universities in Nigeria
  • LIST: Federal Unity Colleges in Nigeria
  • NYSC Orientation Camps in Nigeria
  • Nigeria’s Federal/States’ Budgets since 2005
  • Malabu Scandal Thread
  • World Cup 2018
  • Panama Papers Game
  • Our Digital Network
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Projects
  • Data & Infographics
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

No Result
View All Result
  • #PandoraPapers
  • Gender
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Investigations
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Multimedia
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • #EndSARS Dashboard
  • Projects
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • Parliament Watch
    • AGAHRIN
  • AUN-PT Data Hub
  • Opinion
  • The Membership Club
  • Dubawa
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

Our website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.