Diesel suppliers and generator dealers operating in the country are sabotaging government’s efforts towards providing a stable electricity supply, a former Minister of Power, Barth Nnaji, has said.
Nnaji who spoke as a guest in a radio programme in Umuahia said the poor performance of the national grid has remained a significant concern among Nigerians for a long time.
The former minister said this was despite the Federal Government’s claim of spending over N7 trillion as direct interventions in the power sector since the privatization of electricity generation and distribution sectors in November 2013.
Nnaji, who is the Group Chairman of Geometric Power, Aba, accused diesel suppliers and generator sellers as the forces behind the obstacles to power generation business in the country.
The sector, he said, needed professionals, who understood the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry to take over and manage it.
“There are two areas that are very strategic when one is talking of cabal in the sector – the diesel suppliers and generator users.
“Nigeria is a big user of generators, because of our enormous power need. And those who are in the business would not want any interruption.
“The diesel suppliers feel that stable power supply would destroy their business,” he said.
Nnaji said the the power sector, just like other key sectors of the economy, has a powerful cabal, making huge gains from the problems of poor power supply in the country.
Giving a graphic picture of how dangerous diesel suppliers can be, Nnaji said he personally experienced this when he was in government, saying somewhere in this country, some men cut down 30KVA transmission line to stop the electricity supply to thousands of users.
“Unfortunately, the diesel supplying company sponsored the operation. Incidentally the power cable fell on one of them, who later confessed to the crime.” (NAN)
