FG not responsible for lack of electricity – Fashola tells Nigerians

The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola has stated
that federal government is not responsible for non availability of
electricity.

Fashola disclosed this while speaking at the Nextier Power Dialogue on
Wednesday night in Abuja.

The minister, while acknowledging that there were problems in the
power sector, explained that it was not the Federal Government's
problem if citizens in the country do not have electricity, especially
since the sector was privatised.

Fashola said, "There are problems without a doubt and we must deal
with them. But let me remind you, all of the assets that the Ministry
of Power used to control for power have been 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.

"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.

"So 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 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."

"I think that NERC (Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission) is the
referee of the game. I am FIFA (Federation of International Football
Association). And it is not right as you said that FIFA gets involved,
because whether the referee makes a mistake or not the goal stands.

"So the FIFA man does not enter the field to say go and change the
result, but it's an interesting analogy that I've also contemplated in
my head and that's why you didn't catch me by too much surprise.

"However, it is important to allow the referee to continue to decide
the game because investors like to know who decides."