Tobias Sylvester
Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has opened up about his plans for the power sector, promising to lead Nigeria out of the darkness.
Atiku Say He Will Lead Nigeria Out Of Darkness
The former vice-president shared his plans in a series of tweets on Thursday while reacting to the now-suspended nationwide blackout due to the issues between electricity workers and the federal government.
According to him, the issue should not have affected all states in the country, stressing that he would remove electricity from the exclusive list of the government to prevent such occurrences.
Atiku claimed that his policy was aimed at attracting optimal investments in the power sector, adding that he would empower states to generate, transmit and distribute electricity for themselves.
The presidential candidate, who also noted that he has no interest in any generator company, said he would develop alternative means of electricity generation through renewable and non-renewable means.
He said, “Having keenly observed developments in the power sector within the last 24 hours, I am again convinced that my solution to the electricity crisis, as encapsulated in my policy document, ‘my covenant with Nigerians’, remains the most proactive plan to lead Nigeria out of darkness,” he said.
“In this regard, my approach is to first remove the entire electricity value chain from the exclusive list and give states the power to generate, transmit and distribute electricity for themselves.
“An industrial dispute with the FG in Abuja should not affect an industry in Lagos or a factory in Aba or in Kano or even an average Nigerian who just wants to get home, watch the news and sleep under a ceiling fan.
“Secondly, my policy shall aim at achieving greater coordination of investments in the entire electricity value chain.
“Investments in additional generation capacity are futile without consideration for the complementary transmission and distribution infrastructure to wheel the additional energy.
“Any investment in additional generation capacity would be competitively procured considering a viable mix of renewable (hydro, solar, wind and biofuels) and non-renewable (coal, gas) options for energy security.
“Thirdly, ahead of procuring additional generation, both transmission and distribution capacities would be enhanced with government and private sector support for investments.
“In this regard, we shall incentivise private investors to invest in the development of multiple green-field mini-grid transmission systems to be looped into the super-grip in the medium to long term while allowing the FG to focus on policy, regulation, and standardisation.
“My aspiration to be president is to protect the interest of the average Nigerian in all circumstances, and on this, I stand to say that I have no interest either directly or indirectly in any generator company, as has been publicly revealed.”
KanyiDaily recalls that the electricity workers had embarked on an indefinite strike on Wednesday, August 17, over pending issues with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
But power supply was restored in the country after the workers agreed to suspend the strike for two weeks – yielding to the federal government’s pleas.
