October29, 2014 – The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola has called on Nigerians not to accept any excuses for power failure in the past four years.
Fashola who was speaking at an occasion to handover 8.8 Megawatts Mainland Independent Power Plants (IPP) in Ikeja, Lagos said four years is enough for the Federal Government to have delivered electricity to Nigerians.
The governor who said that delivering power is not rocket science noted that Nigeria remains the only country in the world that has gas and petroleum but lacked electricity.
He noted that many countries in Europe depend on gas from Russia adding that even if Russia decides to cut off gas, they never experience power failure adding that his government has been able to deliver what it has promised.
The governor said that if the National Assembly provides the appropriate legislation that would enable states to generate and distributes electricity to Nigerians it will deliver adding that what will be required then is for Nigerians to be prepared to consume electricity according to their pockets.
The governors also faulted recent privatization of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria(PHCN) noting that the process has not delivered light to the expectations of Nigerians because those who are competent were not accommodated in the privatisation process.
Speaking on criticisms that has greeted ‘ Muslim Muslim’ ticket being touted by some political parties, Fashola said that it does not matter if those who will deliver Nigerian from its current state are Muslims or Christians, adding that Muslim Muslim ticket or Christian Christian ticket will not give Nigerians energy and good roads but good people.
He challenged Nigerians that as the 2015 general elections draws close, they should see good roads, energy and the likes in the voter’s card adding that they must use it to put the right person into office.
He noted that whatever choice that is made, Nigerians will have to live with it in the next four years.
Earlier in his speech, Commissioner for Energy, Engineer Taofic Tijani said the power plant is made possible through a public private partnership between the Lagos State Government and a consortium of Mainland Power Limited, CET Power and Solad Electric Limited.
“The 8.8 Mw Mainland Power Plant will henceforth guarantee unlimited power supply to the old secretariat complex , Lagos High Court, LASUTH, water works, energy academy and public lighting”, he said.
