Sabotage and theft undermining power
supply- Buhari, says Fashola to begin work on Lagos-Ibadan expressway next week
Read the press statement from the presidency
below...
President Muhammadu Buhari has
identified sabotage and theft of gas as
factors undermining the efforts of the
government to increase power supply in
the country. To tackle the problem, the
President announced that existing
Military Task-Forces will be reorganized
to ensure a successful protection of the
network of gas pipelines.
The President, who said this Tuesday in a
question-and-answer interaction with the
Nigerian community in Tehran, the Islamic
Republic of Iran, noted that "although some
improvement in power had been recorded in
the recent period," sabotage of pipeline
installations continued to be a problem. He
told his audience that Nigeria had everything
it takes to generate enough power. "Power is
a running battle because the saboteurs are
still there. We have the potential. We have
gas, we have qualified people but we are
contending with a lot of saboteurs who go
and blow up installations. When gas is
pumped to Egbin and such other power
stations, thieves and saboteurs such as the
militants cut those supplies," President Buhari
said.
He also cited another factor as the reduced
role of the government in the sector due to
the privatization of the institutions under the
Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, in
the process of which, he said, the facilities
"have been sold to a number of interest
groups." He assured that the Military Task-
Forces with representation from the Army,
Navy, Air Force, the Police and other security
agencies will be reconstituted to secure the
pipelines. "Supplies will become steady; there
will be less sabotage as we secure the
pipelines," he stressed. President Buhari also
updated the Nigerians in Tehran on the efforts
of his administration towards ending the Boko
Haram insurgency and terrorism in the
country, explaining that a lot had been
achieved following the reorganization of the
military top command, followed by increased
equipment supply and training. In a response
to a question on the need to improve
healthcare delivery, the President said that
efforts had been intensified towards ridding
the country of fake drugs and fake doctors,
and also what he called "the disgraceful
aspects" manifested by "baby factories." He
also enumerated several steps being taken
towards the revival of education from primary
school level to university. On the creation of
jobs, he placed the prevailing joblessness in
the country at the door-step of the last
administration which he blamed for giving "a
devastating blow to the economy through
corruption and incompetence."
The President said that something urgent will
be done about the bad condition of roads,
citing the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway as one to
be addressed from next week by the Minister
of Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde
Fashola, who sat next to him at the meeting.
Speaking on the issue of corruption, one of
the three issues he identified as the priorities
of his administration, President Buhari said
that the necessity for compliance with due
process of the law was responsible for the
delay in the prosecution of the looters of the
country's economy. He noted however, that
the "the day of reckoning is gradually
coming." He also revealed that a number of
past officials had begun the voluntary return
of stolen funds but expressed the view that
his government was not satisfied with
tokens."We want to have everything back – all
that they took by force in 16 years," the
President concluded.
GARBA SHEHU Senior Special Assistant to the
President (Media & Publicity) November 24,
2015.
supply- Buhari, says Fashola to begin work on Lagos-Ibadan expressway next week
Read the press statement from the presidency
below...
President Muhammadu Buhari has
identified sabotage and theft of gas as
factors undermining the efforts of the
government to increase power supply in
the country. To tackle the problem, the
President announced that existing
Military Task-Forces will be reorganized
to ensure a successful protection of the
network of gas pipelines.
The President, who said this Tuesday in a
question-and-answer interaction with the
Nigerian community in Tehran, the Islamic
Republic of Iran, noted that "although some
improvement in power had been recorded in
the recent period," sabotage of pipeline
installations continued to be a problem. He
told his audience that Nigeria had everything
it takes to generate enough power. "Power is
a running battle because the saboteurs are
still there. We have the potential. We have
gas, we have qualified people but we are
contending with a lot of saboteurs who go
and blow up installations. When gas is
pumped to Egbin and such other power
stations, thieves and saboteurs such as the
militants cut those supplies," President Buhari
said.
He also cited another factor as the reduced
role of the government in the sector due to
the privatization of the institutions under the
Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, in
the process of which, he said, the facilities
"have been sold to a number of interest
groups." He assured that the Military Task-
Forces with representation from the Army,
Navy, Air Force, the Police and other security
agencies will be reconstituted to secure the
pipelines. "Supplies will become steady; there
will be less sabotage as we secure the
pipelines," he stressed. President Buhari also
updated the Nigerians in Tehran on the efforts
of his administration towards ending the Boko
Haram insurgency and terrorism in the
country, explaining that a lot had been
achieved following the reorganization of the
military top command, followed by increased
equipment supply and training. In a response
to a question on the need to improve
healthcare delivery, the President said that
efforts had been intensified towards ridding
the country of fake drugs and fake doctors,
and also what he called "the disgraceful
aspects" manifested by "baby factories." He
also enumerated several steps being taken
towards the revival of education from primary
school level to university. On the creation of
jobs, he placed the prevailing joblessness in
the country at the door-step of the last
administration which he blamed for giving "a
devastating blow to the economy through
corruption and incompetence."
The President said that something urgent will
be done about the bad condition of roads,
citing the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway as one to
be addressed from next week by the Minister
of Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde
Fashola, who sat next to him at the meeting.
Speaking on the issue of corruption, one of
the three issues he identified as the priorities
of his administration, President Buhari said
that the necessity for compliance with due
process of the law was responsible for the
delay in the prosecution of the looters of the
country's economy. He noted however, that
the "the day of reckoning is gradually
coming." He also revealed that a number of
past officials had begun the voluntary return
of stolen funds but expressed the view that
his government was not satisfied with
tokens."We want to have everything back – all
that they took by force in 16 years," the
President concluded.
GARBA SHEHU Senior Special Assistant to the
President (Media & Publicity) November 24,
2015.
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