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Gas shortage not an excuse for inadequate power supply – Fashola

By on October 31, 2014

The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has stated that gas should not be an excuse for the federal government’s failure to deliver on its promises of providing regular power supply to Nigerians.

Speaking on Wednesday night in Ikeja at the inauguration of the Mainland Independent Power Plant (IPP), the fourth IPP to be built by the state government within the past four years, Fashola stated that Nigeria was the only country with abundant oil and gas resources but lacks electricity.

“One lesson we must learn is that if a government makes public commitment, it is duty-bound to discharge it without excuses. No excuses are acceptable for not giving us power. If the National Assembly wakes up tomorrow and makes a law that each state should be responsible for the generation, transmission and distribution  of its own electricity, Lagos State is ready,” he said.

Fashola noted that many countries in Europe depend on Russian gas but their electricity supply does not fail.

According to him, electricity supply is not a miracle and must not take more than four years for the people to enjoy it.
He said electricity is just development, which cannot be provided by religion.

Fashola urged the people to shun religious sentiments in the selection of their next leaders because electricity has no tribe or religious affiliations.

In his speech, the Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Dr. Sam Amadi, stated that the 8.5 megawatt Mainland IPP represents the future of electricity supply in the country.

He noted that the state government had been pioneering visionary projects, adding that it takes a lot of vision for projects such as  the Mainland IPP to come to fruition.
Amadi, who was represented by his Special Assistant in charge of Policy and Strategy, Dr. Uche Okoro,  also pointed out that since the country requires 200,000mw of power, other states should embrace captive power projects.

The state Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr. Taofiq Tijani, said the new IPP would provide street light over a 20-kilometre distance as well as supply electricity to the office of the Chief Judge, Area F Police Command, Lagos State Electricity Board, Ikeja General Hospital, medical school, thereby saving lives and providing security.

 

[This Day]