While wishing him success, the advice is needful that the newly appointed Minister of Power, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN should read the unwritten book- “Bola Ige and The Power that be in The Power Industry”. Though nobody can find any book of this title on any shelf because it’s my coinage, the title is philosophical and passes the message that BRF must learn from late Chief James Ajibola Idowu Adegoke Ige, SAN.
I learnt that “Uncle Bola Ige”, as he was popularly called, personally chose to administer the Power Ministry during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s regime. He had determination, vigour and passion. He believed he could turn things around within months, and “let there be light”. But there was no light. Up till now, there has never been stable light in Nigeria! So what suddenly happened that Ige’s dream got busted and evaporated so that some cabal rejoiced. What happened is in that ‘book of the past’ that BRF should master.
Like Bola Ige, like BRF?
Like James Ajibola Idowu Adegoke Ige, SAN, Babatunde Raji Fasola, SAN is brilliant and has vigour too. That he unprecedentedly has to oversee three ministries is however attention catching. I don’t really envy this trinitized minister, though I vehemently pray for his sounding success. What?! Three-in-one minister! The Power Ministry is powerful. There are lots of work to be carried out in the Works Ministry, just as a lot of strategies must be housed for implementation of good ideas that would bring success in the Housing Ministry. No. I don’t envy the former Lagos State Governor.
No doubt, the entire 36 ministries are very much important. However, apart from the Ministry of petroleum, no other ministry has ever gotten as much funding as the powerful Ministry of Power. For example, a whopping sum of N2.74 trillion has so far been spent in attempts to improve power supply in Nigeria since 1999 to date. This fact was disclosed during the debrief of a Senate Committee investigating investments in the power sector in the 16 years of PDP rule in Nigeria. At the session, the arrow head of the Federal Ministry of Power, Ambassador Godknows Igali further explained that “From 1999 to date, 1.56 trillion was appropriated to us but actually only N948bn was released to the Ministry and the entire agencies under it. This amount covers all the entire investments in value chain. Yet Nigerians sleep in darkness and company close down for lack of electricity.
At the assumption of office, late Chief Bola Ige unexpectedly tried to examine previous activities of the Power Ministry in order to know from where to take off in relation to the plans of the ministry and yearnings of Nigerians. To some blocks within the sector, it was like “katakata wan bust”, “there are troubles in the offing!”
Today Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, former Minister of Petroleum is synonymous with alleged unprecedented corruption in the Petroleum Ministry because, according to what many Nigerians say, she kind of chewed too much alone quite conspicuously. BRF, I presume would know that corruption is as much hydra-headed in the Power sector as it was in the petroleum sector under Diezani Alison-Madueke. The powerful petroleum lady-minister was just one bigger node within a network of wicked oil-drunks. BRF must see some senses in, and take cognizance of that. Hence, it is not out of place to state that the two Ministries of Petroleum and Power are crucial for the quick bounce of Nigeria. Petroleum as the bedrock of the national economy is expected to have powered the lights in Nigerians’ homes.
BRF must talk less. He must not be a “noise maker” minister. While studying previous files, he would discover how almost N3 trillion had been wasted on power under PDP 16 year rule. No doubt, he would have to ask some individuals some few questions, not probe, but there must be light in the homes of Nigerians. Whether this would translate to somebody sleeping behind bars is no big deal, in as much as it would make electricity to run uninterruptedly in Nigeria. Welders must get electricity to fabricate things. Small, medium and large industries must run on power that is not generated through diesel and petrol bought through the nose.
Whatever BRF has to do, he must develop capacity to detect possible mines that could have been planted by some cabal within the sector, just as he must develop and maintain deep cordiality with Mustapha Baba Shehuri, the Minister of State, Power, Works and Housing. The cabal in the power industry, especially, must not come between them. BRF must ensure that another Yoruba Senior Advocate of Nigeria must not “fail” and later got redeployed to become Attorney General and Minister of Justice. BRF must destroy set up, if any.
