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As new ministers took office last week, workers in the electricity sector have tasked the minister of power to fashion out policies of the present administration as far as generation, transmission and distribution of electricity are concerned and the ownership structure.
The workers, under the umbrella of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), congratulating the minister, Engr. Saleh Mamman, on his appointment, advised him not behave like his predecessor.
The general-secretary of NUEE, Comrade Joe Ajaero, urged the minister to consult with all stakeholders and go into fact-finding to know the ills of the sector to enable him operate from a position of knowledge, unlike his predecessor in the ministry.
He said, “Besides, you should be weary of bureaucrats who mis-advice ministers.
“Honorable minister, sir, please, note that this sector is full of hawks and vultures whose interest is how to siphon the little resources therein. It is made up of powerful individuals who have hijacked the power sector without any contribution towards its development.”
The NUEE scribe charged the new power minister to answer some crucial questions, among which are, if privatisation is the policy of the APC government, or if the APC is sustaining the privatisation policy of the PDP or if it has a different policy.
Others are, “Nigerians want to know those who bought the power sector, their expertise and what they have contributed in the sector in the last six years.
“Nigerians want to know why the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has reduced itself to a tariff commission whose duty is to inflict more pains on Nigerians in terms of incessant tariff increase, even in the face of current economic downturn.
“Nigerians want to know if government sold both core and non-core assets at the cost of core assets only. Nigerians want to know the dividend of government’s 40% ownership in the privatised companies, in the last six years and the ignoble role played by BPE in the whole drama.”
Ajaero also said that the world would like to know why privatisation in the electricity sector suddenly translates to “public disaster and private gains.”
