***asks power Minister to resign over incessant grid collapse
The National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mr. Ralphs Nwosu, on Sunday, took a swipe at President Muhammadu Buhari’s ineptitude and lack of political will to ensure constant power supply in the country.
Reacting to the over two days electricity blackout nationwide Nwosu in a statement in Abuja said it was due to grid collapse.
He lamented the concomitant negative effect of the development on the nation’s economy, especially the poor masses and Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs), amid a surge in fuel and diesel prices.
He insisted that that the All Progressives Congress (APC) led administration has failed woefully in its electioneering promise to ensure stable power supply in the country, and therefore urged Nigerians not to hesitate to vote them out of power during the forthcoming general elections in 2023.
He called on the Minister of Power, Mr Abubakar Aliyu, to resign or be sacked, over his inability to take responsibility and efficiently pilot the sector to achieve power infrastructure renewal and private sector investment in grid and off-grid renewable energy sources.
He lamented that barely 24 hours after the National power systems crashed at about 10:40 am on Monday, the grid collapsed again at 5.10 pm on Tuesday evening and again at 6.30pm on Friday.
He blamed the incessant power failure in the country on the present administration’s lack of vision, capacity and failure to formulate sustainable policies and governance model for the power sector as well as make required investment in renewable energy and strengthening of the nation’s weak power infrastructure to efficiently distribute the paltry megawatts being generated.
He noted that the national grid had remained epileptic with a mere 2,000 megawatts of electricity in the past month.
According to him, while the installed power generation capacity of the country is about 12,522 megawatts, total output is still less than 3,500MW and with about 2,000 MW only available for distribution due to weak distribution infrastructure.
He said: “This is why Nigerians need to elect a competent government with the required political will to tackle its myriad of existential challenges, including power, in 2023.
“The ADC with its array of young and dynamic leadership presents a credible alternative to the present failed political parties and their representatives in government that continue to push the country nearer the precipice of economic liquidation and state failure on daily basis.”