The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has debunked the assertion of Nuhu Wya, former minister of state for power to the Senate that on his appointment as the then minister, he inherited 1, 700 megawatts of electricity.
Joe Ajaero, general secretary, NUEE, further added that the statement was misleading and designed strategically to misinform not only the Senate but Nigerians.
Ajaero, who made this disclosure on Tuesday, revealed that the statement was aimed at deceiving the Senate into confirming him as minister.
"To avoid ambiguity, and put the records straight, Nuhu Wya inherited 3, 400 megawatts during the dry season when the water level is usually low and generation in hydro power stations, relatively low.
"The records are still there in PHCN and the operators as at the time of his appointment are still very much around to confirm or disprove Wya's statement", he posited.
According to him, this desperation displayed by Wya shows the extent to which people go to secure political appointment. From Wya's presentation to the Senate that they left power generation at 3, 700 megawatts, Ajaero said that Wya had fed the Senate with deliberate falsehood.
"From records, power generation as at the date the Federal Executive Council (FEC) was dissolved hovered around 3, 000 to 3, 300 megawatts. The exit of Wya and his boss however brought fortune to power generation, which has now improved to 3, 700 megawatts. Wya equally lied when he identified gas limitation as the only limiting factor to the realisation of 6, 000 megawatts."
The general secretary also noted that the inability of these former ministers to strengthen the transmission and distribution networks was more worrisome than gas limitation. He challenged Wya to prove to Nigerians that the transmission and distribution networks they left behind have the capacity to wheel out more than 4, 500 megawatts.
Power: NUEE accuses Wya of misleading Nigerians (http://www.businessdayonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9693:power-nuee-accuses-wya-of-misleading-nigerians-&catid=85:national&Itemid=340)
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