Democracy Under Threat In Buhari’s Hands – PPD

Press Statement

Borno By–Election: PDP Decries APC Manipulations…Charges Members To Protect Votes In Kogi, Bayelsa

*Buhari

As a fallout to the open manipulations of last Saturday’s Borno Central Senatorial by-election, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has charged its members and supporters to be on the alert and ready to defend votes in forthcoming elections, especially the November 21 and December 5 governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states respectively.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh in a statement on Monday said the call has become necessary following the continuous violation of electoral rules and intimidation of opposition by the APC Federal Government, as manifested in the conduct of the Borno Central Senatorial by-election.

The party said the by-election falls short of all acceptable standards and was characterized by high-level manipulations by the APC, which used compromised electoral officers and security forces to muscle votes in its favour.

“We have repeatedly alerted Nigerians that our democracy is under threat in the hands of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC government. Last Saturday’s Borno Central Senatorial By-election, where compromised electoral officials and security forces were brazenly used to intimidate the electorate and write votes for the APC has brought this to the fore. This barefaced rape on our democracy is completely unacceptable and must not be allowed to continue in the country.

In Search Of Nigeria’s “Credible” Politicians

By Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye

If you are in Nigeria and you have not done this before, try and do it right away. Just open a Nigerian newspaper near you. Go through its pages to find out how many people were described in that particular edition as “credible” politicians or “honest and selfless” Nigerians. You would be shocked to see the number of people that recklessly allowed themselves to be associated with such superb qualities even when they are fully aware that by what most people know about their character and vile history, it might even be considered a generous compliment to dress them up in the very opposites of those terms.

*Leaders of the PDP and the APC meet before 

the 2015 elections in Nigeria 

Indeed, these are some of the words and phrases that have been so callously and horribly subjected to the worst kinds of abuses in Nigeria with hardly anyone making any attempt to intervene. I won’t in the least, therefore, be surprised if I wake up tomorrow to hear that decent people in this country (or even outside the country) have begun to protest and resist any attempt to associate them with those terms any more.

In these parts, we appear to be such exceptional experts in the effective devaluation of all that ought to inspire awe and noble feelings. I can confidently predict that there are now some Nigerians who would, for instance, feel greatly insulted should their dogs be nominated for our country’s “National Honours.” Especially, since the Obasanjo regime, the “National Honours List” in this country has sadly distinguished itself by the ease with which people who ought to be in jail star prominently in it.

And as you look at the haggard or even dilapidated and grossly impoverished nature of a country with a long list of “illustrious” and “honest” sons and daughters annually honoured for their “selfless” and “invaluable” services to their fatherland, you cannot help wondering how indeed their so-called “immense contributions to the growth and progress of the their country” were not able to leave some bit of positive impact on the same country and its people.   Why is a country with such a long and intimidating list of “patriotic achievers” and “nation builders” still one of the most backward in the world despite being endowed with enviably abundant natural resources?

Many Nigerians, especially, politicians, do not care about the credibility of their pronouncements before they open their mouths to drop them, especially, before mammoth crowds. It is in Nigeria that a very tall man would not have the slightest hint of restraint telling everyone how incredibly short he is (because of the rich gains such a gross misrepresentation would attract to him at that time) without bothering about the evidence before everybody’s eyes which brutally contradicts what he is saying. We live in a country where consequences hardly follow actions, so, people everywhere flaunt their ability to behave anyhow and make wild claims with utmost impunity.

Now, I feel very highly insulted each time I see a public officer, say a Nigerian governor, who virtually everyone seems to agree deserves to head straight to jail once he leaves office due to his mindless plunder of the country’s resources, come out (before an election) to tell the world with sickening brazenness how his party would wage a successful war against corruption if elected into power! By allowing himself the revolting recklessness of uttering such an outstanding blasphemy, the person is only calling all of us fools who are incapable of using our brains. And the mere fact that this same odious fellow would automatically be rewarded with very ecstatic ovations from supposedly rational human beings who constitute his audience and who would also go ahead to give him their votes is one reason most people easily conclude that something is very horribly and disastrously wrong with Nigeria, and that we live in one of the most unserious societies on earth.  

In Nigeria, anybody can suddenly become an “esteemed” and “respected “anti-corruption” crusader. Even if you have a very horrible criminal past, it would not matter. Somebody once boasted to me that the only way to effect lasting, positive change in Nigeria is to become a public officer, acquire boundless wealth by looting the treasury pale, and then with your enormous loot, seek to sanitize the system. Moreover, Nigerians are always interested in the present. The same Nigerians who had called you horrible names while you were busy criminally accumulating humongous wealth would start hailing you once you start attacking the incumbent regime. Soon, you will be crowned an “eminent statesman” or even the “conscience of the nation,” celebrated by all.

Even the foreign media which will not tolerate such hideousness in their own land will join their local counterparts to decorate you. And if the current government attempts to investigate the organized banditry you effectively supervised during your tenure, you would just call a press conference and grant lengthy interviews to allege that they are persecuting you because you are exposing their corrupt acts and then promise Nigerians that you would not be deterred by any acts aimed at intimidating you into silence! I can assure you that if you act “wisely,” you would get eager influential defenders in the media, among opinion moulders and even from some of your “more liberal comrades” in the human rights community.   

You can also always rely on our media to never attempt to remember your past, but to continue to emphasize how you are the hope of the country. They will readily help our nice and easily forgiving and forgetting populace to quickly consign your past to the bin and embrace your new “Mr. Clean” image.         

Former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), late Alao Aka-Bashorun, one of the country’s most principled activists and legal luminaries, once said that if a gang of armed robbers rose in Nigeria and seized power that he knew some of his colleagues who would fall over themselves to “serve” in that regime and blame patriotism for their abominable choice. Aka-Bashorun made this statement during the heyday of military rule when coups and counter-coups were the country’s worst afflictions, and military adventurists, largely motivated by selfish interests, did not seek the mandate of the people to rule them, but just seized power and imposed themselves on all of us.

PDP Needs Rebranding – APC

PRESS RELEASE 

The All Progressives Congress (APC) said the resort to crude, personal attacks by PDP spokesman Olisa Metuh‎ in his latest statement is a clear vindication of the party's (APC's) stand that the PDP should urgently rebrand or go into extinction. 

*Lai Mohammed 
In a statement issued in Lagos on Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said with a combustible and out-of-control spokesman like Metuh, there is no way the PDP will survive in opposition.

''Metuh has shown, time and again, that he lacks the temperament, presence of mind, sobriety, analytical mind, decency in the use of language and panache needed for anyone to be the face of any organisation, not to talk of a political party. 

''It was the realization of this obvious fact that ‎made us to offer to provide the excitable Metuh a crash course on how to function as an opposition spokesman. Unfortunately, it is too late now as he seems to have become totally untrainable. 

''Instead of reacting to our sincere advice to his party to urgently rebrand or go down, Metuh chose to unleash his vitriolic tongue on the APC spokesman, just as he has done to the judiciary and many agencies of government in recent times. 

''In what is surely a looming tragedy for the PDP, a spokesman who helped write the party into opposition is now poised to further write it into extinction,'' ‎it said.

APC insisted that the PDP should stop wailing and insulting the judiciary for the electoral tragedy‎ which it brought upon itself by engaging in mindless rigging and violence in the last general elections. 

''The doomed opposition should also immediately stop its failed strategy of trying to distract the Buhari Administration, which is busy cleaning up the mess left behind by the 16 years of locust of the sinking 'PDP,'' the party said

Alhaji Lai Mohammed
National Publicity Secretary
All Progressives Congress (APC)
Lagos, Oct. 31st 2015. 

Buhari's Statements Are Demarketing Nigeria - PDP

...Scaring Away Investors

PRESS RELEASE 

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) draws the attention of Nigerians to the harmful consequences of the unabated negative statements from the very father of the nation, President Muhammadu Buhari, on the economy and the general image of the country.

*Buhari

The party said “it is worrisome that in the last six months, the President, instead of making efforts to harness resources and grow the economy, has rather continued to apply himself, perhaps unwittingly, to demarketing the nation and scaring away investors through negative labeling of Nigerians and unwarranted unhealthy portrayal of the nation’s economy”.

The PDP in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh on Sunday said the President’s unwary statements have become very serious clog in the wheel of progress, eroding the confidence of both domestic and international investors in the Nigerian economic and social system.

“In the last six months, our President has only succeeded in discouraging foreign investors with his continued misrepresentation of our country as a business unfriendly environment, where most of the citizens are basically corrupt, dishonest, and cannot be trusted.

“Whereas we have restated our total support for the war against corruption, we insist that Mr. President’s unceasing blanket negative labeling of citizens, in a country where millions of honest and hardworking individuals/firms are genuinely contributing daily to the development effort, is indeed a disservice and injurious to the nation and the people.

Buhari Rewarding APC Ex-Governors With Appointments, Hounding Their PDP Colleagues

...President's Corruption War Selective 
Communiqué Issued At The End Of PDP National Caucus Meeting Today, Thursday, October 29, 2015

*President Buhari with former Gov Amaechi

The National Caucus carefully reviewed the political developments in the nation's polity and resolved as follows.

1. That there is serious cause for concern in the nation's political environment, especially as it concerns the survival of the nation's democracy.

2. That the gains recorded in the 16 years of nurturing of democracy in the country by the PDP is rapidly being eroded with non-functioning of basic tenets of democracy and perpetuation of actions tilting towards dictatorship.

3. That the insensitivity of the ruling government to very critical issues being raised by the opposition is a huge threat to viable democracy and dangerous to the peace, unity and progress of the country.

4. That the undue interferences by the executive arm of government on the activities of the judiciary, legislature and INEC using the Directorate of States Services (DSS) is clearly unacceptable to the PDP as well as the Nigerian people and the party resolved to vigorously resist such.

Nigeria: How To Hate The Igbo

By Oguwike Nwachuku

Last week, most of the newspapers reported the feud between the Deji of Akure, Aladelusi Aladetoyinbo, and Eze Ndigbo in Akure, Gregory Iloehika, over claims of a plan by Aladetoyinbo to dethrone him.

Many issues were at stake but the glaring ones are who should collect royalty from the Igbo community who seem more comfortable paying to the Eze Ndigbo than the Deji, and the influx of “illegal traders” at Mojere market where Igbo traders were accused of contravening the rules.

*Some Igbo Politicians  

One Emeka Umeh, chair of the Igbo traders, was accused by the interim chairman of the market, Saka Aliu, of responsibility over the “illegal traders”.

A meeting was held where Umeh was mandated to do away with the “illegal traders” but he allegedly refused, leading to forceful resort to eject the “illegal occupants” on the directives of the Deji.

The forgoing was the background upon which the Eze Ndigbo was brought into the picture to intervene, but the Deji may have considered his intervention slow and his style, arrogant and disrespectful to his authority and institution.

“We shall continue to allow integration of all Nigerians, but we will not allow anyone to degrade or trample upon our tradition and institution,” he said.

The Deji accused the Igbo in Akure of insubordination and violation of tradition.

Rotimi Olusanya, the Asamo of Akure, who spoke for Aladetoyinbo, accused Iloehika of disregard for Akure people and the traditional ruler. 

Ndigbo As Migrants In Nigeria?

By Ikechukwu Amaechi

Three years ago, I travelled to the United States for the annual convention of Mbaise people living there. The convention, which is usually rotated among the states in the U.S., held in Dallas, Texas, that year.

(Pix: Vanguard)

Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, a proud Mbaise son, and President General of Ezuruezu Mbaise, the umbrella association of Ndi Mbaise in Nigeria, Okey Aguwa, who lived in the U.S. for many years before coming back home, were also in attendance.

That was the first time I was attending the convention that had become a landmark event for our people in the U.S. every year. And it was like a homecoming of sort for me.

A very good percentage of Mbaise people living in the U.S. was there because, as I was told, many of them live in the twin cities of Dallas and Houston in Texas.

I met many friends, some of whom were school mates, who left the shores of Nigeria immediately we left secondary school.

What surprised me most was that most people who graced the ceremony had the titles of chief or lolo prefixed to their names. Many were adorned in elaborate traditional regalia with heavy beads around their necks and wrists and oversized fans in their hands.

And you dare not call anybody by his first name without first pronouncing the word chief.

I remember telling someone who sat beside me at the gala night that there seemed to be more chiefs and lolos of Igbo extraction in the U.S. than we have in Nigeria. The guy smiled and said I had not seen anything yet. “Wait until you see the Eze Ndigbos. These ones are the small fries in the bourgeoning chieftaincy industry among Ndigbo in the U.S.”.

As it is in the U.S., so it is in almost every part of the world where the Igbo live and, of course, Nigeria their country is not an exception.

Stop Rationalizing Buhari’s Lethargic Beginnings

By Moses Ochonu

My friend, Professor Pius Adesanmi, set the tone for what I'm about to say in a recent Facebook update. If you have not read his update in which he makes a forceful argument for holding the Buhari administration accountable for the president's pre-election promises in the area of security and the effort against Boko Haram, please go and read it without delay. It is a prescient and timely intervention. Adesanmi was writing to bemoan the continued rampage of Boko Haram in spite of Buhari's promise to take away their ability to continue their murderous activities.

*Buhari 

Adesanmi's overarching arguments are 1) we should insist on Buhari fulfilling his promise of securing the lives and property of citizens from the menace of Boko Haram, a promise that the recent wave of bombings vitiate; 2) we should demand from this administration a clear articulation of its strategy for ending Boko Haram; and 3) what we criticized and refused to accept when Jonathan was president, we should not accept, rationalize, or fail to criticize in Buhari's administration.

I want to extend Adesanmi's treatise beyond the narrow domain of security. I want to broaden his contention to the entire gamut of issues and challenges confronting the country. I am arguing simply that, regardless of the issue involved, what we didn't tolerate from Jonathan and roundly criticized in his administration, we should also not tolerate from Buhari and should have the courage to criticize. Here is a list of things we rightly criticized Jonathan for, but which, for reasons I cannot fathom, we seem to have ignored or accepted in Buhari's administration.

President Buhari Not Equipped To Lead In A Democracy - PDP

Press Statement

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) raises a rallying cry to all its members, supporters and lovers of democracy across the country to rise up and use all lawful means to resist anti-democratic forces, now using the judiciary and security agencies in their desperate scheme to subvert the will of the people and destroy the nation’s democracy.

*Buhari 

The party said though it seeks peace, it is not ready to accept the peace of a graveyard, neither is it willing to surrender the mandate freely given to it by the people in any part of the country, particularly in Rivers, Akwa-Ibom, Delta, Abia, Taraba and other states where it won in the last general elections.

“Let it be known, and clearly too, that no matter the strong-arming, threats and manipulations by the APC government, the PDP is not willing to, and will never surrender the mandate freely given to us by the people in states where we won in the last general elections, neither are the people of those states willing to allow sectional invaders to exert influence on those to be in charge of their affairs” the party said in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh on Sunday.

The PDP said the desperation so far exhibited by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC government in manipulating sensitive agencies of state like the judiciary and the security to further its bid to take over the rich states of Rivers, Akwa-Ibom and Delta is totally against the spirit of democracy and peace bestowed by the PDP in conceding defeat at the Presidential election, but instead, an affront to the people and recipe for crisis in the polity.

The Afenifere Threat To Secede From Nigeria: Open Letter To The Sultan Of Sokoto And The Caliphate’s MACBAN

—Part 2 of the Series “Buhari’s 100 Days—an X-ray”

By Chinweizu

Sundoor999@gmail.com

21oct15

President Buhari’s silence and inaction, during his 100 days, on the issue of Fulani herdsmen seems to have poured petrol on the long smoldering embers of the Fulani menace in Nigeria. So there is a need to raise two questions: (a) Is Buhari’s inaction part of his Caliphate hidden agenda? (b) Is the Sultan of Sokoto, as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of MACBAN, the cattle breeders association, not the Grand Patron of a criminal enterprise--an enterprise that uses, for its economic gain, the crimes of trespassing, destruction of other people’s property, kidnapping, arson, murder, ethnic cleansing etc.?

In his Inaugural Address, President Buhari mentioned some security issues that he would solve as part of his change agenda. Among them was “herdsmen/farmer clashes”:

“Boko Haram is not only the security issue bedeviling our country. The spate of kidnappings, armed robberies, herdsmen/farmers clashes, cattle rustlings all help to add to the general air of insecurity in our land. We are going to erect and maintain an efficient, disciplined people–friendly and well–compensated security forces within an over–all security architecture.”

-- President Buhari’s inaugural speech, on May 29, 2015  

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/05/read-president-buhari-inaugural-speech/ 

Though he didn’t give it the priority and emphasis he gave to Boko Haram, these herdsmen/farmers clashes have quickly escalated into a security problem of far greater countrywide menace than even Boko Haram. Yet he has said nothing and done nothing visible to solve it. Perhaps his change agenda does not include change in this long-established security problem in Nigeria. If so why?

As we shall see further down in this x-ray, because of its territorial scope and its potential to ignite inter-ethnic war in 5 of the 6 zones of Nigeria, this Fulani menace is by far a greater threat to the lives of Nigerians and to the peace and territorial integrity of the Nigerian state than Boko Haram. Yet President Buhari has thus far chosen to leave it unaddressed.  Why?

Reports of the criminal activities of Fulani herdsmen have captured the headlines since May 29. And Afenifere, the apex socio-cultural organ of the Yoruba nationality, stung by the exceptional provocation of the abduction of Chief Olu Falae, a distinguished Nigerian, Yoruba grandee and one of Afenifere’s leaders, reacted by renewing its threat of Yoruba secession from Nigeria.

Why There Should Be No Tariff Increase In The Power Sector!

...NERC Should Make A Public Statement On Charging Methodology

By Idowu Oyebanjo

One of the main problems with the power sector reform in Nigeria is the absence of technocrats in the right positions. This will always lead to reversals and policy summersaults. When those with lack of knowledge of Power Systems speak, especially when the target audience resides predominantly in a country where there has not been electricity for so long, they tend to get away with it.

The problem is that such people constitute a laughing stock when similar comments are made before an international audience. Hear the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor: "For you to have good electricity, you need to pay a little more (to have better maybe)...".

I can guarantee that the National Electricity Regulation Commission (NERC) does not know what it means to determine a cost reflective tariff because these are some of the fundamentals of power systems that only those who have studied power systems and have demonstrable experience or practice can handle. Fake consultants employed by NERC can't do it. The DISCOs or GENCOs advocating for these price increases have not done it either. Can we as public request that NERC publish the analysis used to determine the so called "cost reflective tariffs?"

The power sector needs Nigerians who studied Power Systems, and who work in economies where uninterrupted power supply is the norm, to mediate the correct transition to privatised electricity utility. Although I maintained this position 7 years ago, the position is still valid because you cannot apply the Quota System syndrome to the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity. It will fail! There is need to start again or at best, re-jig the status quo of the reform in a way the losses to the nation can be minimised.

*Amadi, NERC Chairman 

Another example of putting the cart before the horse is the fact that the wheeling capacity of the transmission network is known to be lower or at least equal to the peak generation achieved recently in response to the "Buhari Body language" in August 2015. This simply means there is no improvement to power supply that can take place now even when tariffs are increased because the weakest link has not changed and will not change overnight. More than that, I warned the authorities against establishing the electricity market because the power system is not yet ready for it but they have gone ahead because some believe the laws of economics apply to the physics of electricity. 

Try as you may, you will always recourse to the recommendations made by power systems engineer who know their onions. They aren't many worldwide so not all consultants can be of help.  I think because Nigeria has been in darkness for so long, it is in a mysterious way reflective of the attitude of those in charge of the power sector reform. Can we say for the umpteenth time that the only way, and I mean the only way, to have stable electricity supply is to liaise with power system engineers of Nigerian origin with demonstrable experience of power system leading the course in some way?

All of these amount to one thing - Abusing the sensitivities of the already impoverished consumers is the way to loot more money from the federation especially when the government at the federal level has tightened loop holes using the TSA.

 *Idowu Oyebanjo, MNSE, CEng MIET, a Chartered Power System Engineer in the UK is a regular contributor to SCRUPLES

Femi Adesina, An Embarrassment To The Presidency – PDP

Press Statement

Our attention has been drawn to a vacuous statement by the media aide to President Muhammadu Buhari, Mr. Femi Adesina, in his futile attempt to counteract facts presented by the PDP that this administration is dictatorial and selective in its fight against corruption.

*Femi Adesina 

Mr. Adesina, in his habitual deceptive and diversionary manner, left the critical issues of governance raised by Sunday’s press conference addressed by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, and as usual, embarked on insults, shadow-chasing and fouling of the media space with uncouth language.

This office has noted Mr. Adesina’s several previous unwarranted personal attacks and insults deliberately targeted at the person of the PDP National Publicity Secretary, in his desperate attempt to impress his paymaster and retain his job.

Our answer remains that inasmuch as we know that this Presidency aide lacks depth on his current assignment and has no credible defence, being overwhelmed in his job of trying to launder the image of this government, the characteristic resort always, to lies, malice and vituperations should not be an option.

While we appreciate the fact that Mr. Adesina is not conversant and knowledgeable in politics and intricate issues of governance, he should have applied the common sense of covering his hollowness in this regard and save the Presidency the embarrassment of an arrogant attempt to wave off very serious questions hanging in the face of the present administration.

213 Billion Naira Bailout For Power Sector – Foolishness At Large!

By Idowu Oyebanjo 

Earlier in the year, the Nigerian Power Sector witnessed an unprecedented development wherein Government decided to give a whopping sum of 213 billion Naira as "bailout" to Privatised entities who now own and operate the Nigerian Power utilities in what was seen by many as another means of sharing the wealth of the nation by a few. Last week, after disbursing up to 58 million Naira, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor suspended further disbursement to beneficiaries. Some of the pertinent questions include: What becomes of the already disbursed funds? Will disbursed funds still be recouped as intended via the 10 percent interest rate and repayment spread? How will this be tracked?

*Buhari 

The lack of coordination and policy somersault from the Nigerian Power Sector reforms leaves no one in doubt that the lack of planning and deployment of square pegs in round holes in the execution of strategies contribute greatly to the problems of the electricity supply industry in Nigeria. Why do we not have the right kind of people in the right places so that thorough analysis and evaluations are carried out before jumping to execute a strategy only to realise half way that some issues needed to have been looked after before embarking on a journey that technocrats in power sector have warned us against? The answer lies in not involving power system engineers in the decision process plus the lack of knowledge of power systems in Nigeria. The most disturbing thing about the 213 billion Naira been shared is that it came at a time when quality of power supply is low or better put non-existent even as consumers face the ludicrous decision by NERC to start paying higher tariffs for electricity unused. Insult upon Injury!!! Why do we have many reversals of policies in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry especially when this does no more than infuse lack of confidence in investors who are the custodian of the much needed investment in the sector?

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in the very early days ruled out funding of Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs) beyond 2012. This was even against calls from Government to continue to fund the companies. Sound as the reasons for calls for continued funding may appear, let us ask ourselves what the rational and motives behind such call is. If you as an individual offer to sell your car as “scrap” – so cheap, will you want to maintain the car or fund the additional repair works required to put it right? In the first instance, if you are prepared to do just that, you may as well keep it and fix the car for keep.

The buyers of the Discos have definitely prepared to milk Nigerians dry. Their intention is to continue to eat fat from Nigeria’s oil wealth using a different disguise. 

The interesting thing is that they have for many years been eating fat from this same source. The main weapon to check mate such would have been a proper technical and commercial evaluation of interested bidders at the appropriate stage of the selection process. Technical and Commercial evaluation criteria should have been set ab-initio in such a manner that will preclude this barbaric idea of funding privatised entities. It is up to the owners of the privatised utilities to ensure they meet their obligations as required by law. I have in the past expressed concern about the quality of the companies that won the different bids as most of them have not been known to have demonstrable experience in this highly technical field. 

Improvement In Power Sector: Kudos To Obasanjo

By Desmond Orjiakor
Every well-informed Nigerian living in the country since the second coming of the military in December 1983 knows that very little investment was made in the power sector until the Olusegun Obasanjo administration came on board on May 29, 1999. For many, this is a misconception. Another misconception was the one peddled by the late political orator and former minister of power, and later Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige, that the sector could be fixed within six months. Those two misconceptions drove the thinking in the power sector. There were also very fundamental structural problems. Public utilities were run as a monopoly. Not just a monopoly, but also very top heavy and centralized in its administration, in the case of the power sector. And so, there were a number of things that had to be done. 

*Obasanjo
There were the reforms, for instance, the 2005 Act, which provides for the unbundling of the utility into different entities which happened during the Obasanjo administration when Senator Liyel Imoke was minister. I think, Imoke worked closely with the Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, to make sure that the law was passed. In fact, the Power Reform Act was one of the most difficult laws to be passed in the National Assembly for obvious reasons. But it was passed, and that was the beginning of the reforms in earnest. With the passage of the law, Nigerians started seeing the unbundling of the utilities into smaller entities and this, in turn, saw them independently managed and being run more like business entities. This, of course, was a step in the right direction heading towards ultimately what we now see as the privatization of these utilities.

All the structural amendments that needed to happen, and all started during the Obasanjo administration. There was an attempt to re-bundle the utilities during the Umaru Musa Yar'Adua administration. This delayed for over two years the reforms and progress that had been made. Yet, the fact that the Goodluck Jonathan administration came back to that same blueprint of the Obasanjo era has led to some of the improvements we see in the sector today. We now see that the Federal Government budget for the power sector was very huge. Now, with the private sector buying in and taking some ownership through the privatization process, we are now seeing the Federal Government spending less and the private sector taking more responsibilities for investment in power supply.