For several months now, we in the Mighty Voice social medium had been consistently calling for the sacking of the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN). Our reason is that Mr. Fashola is tolerating the non-performance of the investors in the power sector. We felt Fashola was acting more like lawyer to the Discos than as Minister of Power. We felt the investors were being given undue encouragement, especially in the area of power supply and metering.
Since May 2018 when our campaign started receiving public attention with many comments by many Nigerians in support of our clarion call for the sacking of Fashola, the Minister has been up and doing to prove that he was not bought over by the investors. Mr. Fashola has exonerated himself of any complicity and firmly charged the operators of the Distribution Companies to either perform or quit. For the first time the investors have been reminded that if they fail to install Prepaid Meters (PPM), they will have their licenses withdrawn, and new investors will be given licenses as the contract has not given them exclusive right. For the first time the public has been made to understand that government at all levels and former employees of defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) have a combined 40% of Share capital in the Discos.
Nigeria Electricity Regulation Commission (NERC) should be seen playing its roles. The Commission is conferred with regulatory power and should exercise its power. The Power Minister in his press briefing said:
“It must be obvious to the ordinary person that the supply of power is now a private business in the hands of private operators and in the end, in the hands of the Discos.
“But because of the critical and sensitive nature of power supply, government has not left solely. Government at federal, state and local level, as well as former employees of PHCN hold 40 per cent of the shares in the Discos.
In addition, government is responsible for regulating the behviour and compliance through the NERC which is like what the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is to the banking sector”.
The Minister therefore charged the Discos operators to install Prepaid Meters and stop estimated billings. Mr. Fashola directed the NERC to:
“Enforce the contract of Discos to supply meters and act to ensure the urgent speedy supply and installation of meters with a view to eliminating estimated billing and promote efficient industry and market structures.”
Mighty Voice will not give up the struggle until Nigerians receive their rightful treatment.
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