British envoy blames unstable electricity, poor infrastructure on corruption

[TGD]

 THE British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Andrew Pocock, Wednesday lamented Nigeria's unstable electricity supply to its people, stressing that in the past 30 years, the country had struggled to provide just about 5,000 megawatts of power to its citizens.

Nevertheless, he believes the ongoing privatisation of the power sector was in the right direction, and if sustained and corruption dealt with, Nigeria would become a world political and economic power.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, has assured that the reviewed power sector roadmap currently being fine-tuned would be implemented religiously.

Nebo, who spoke when Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State visited him in Abuja yesterday, stressed that the roadmap would not be abandoned since the Federal Government was committed to energising the South-East industrial hub, especially Nnewi, Onitsha and Aba axis, to boost their manufacturing potentials.

Pocock spoke yesterday during a courtesy visit to the Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Lamorde, where he recalled: "I was here in 1980, which was a period the country was just coming out from long years of military rule, when the oil boom peaked and public infrastructure grew with the attainment of over 5,000 megawatts of electricity.

"Thirty years after and because of corruption in resource allocation process, it became difficult to deliver infrastructure to the people that today, this country is still generating the same quantum of electricity generated 30 years ago."

Identifying corruption as the bane of Nigeria's infrastructure development, he commended the power sector privatisation, stating: "If this process is transparently done, there is no doubt that Nigeria will be on the verge of industrial revolution in the next few years.

"This is because a private sector-driven economy, especially in the country's energy sector, will eliminate subsidy, boost export and create jobs for the people."

In his remarks, Lamorde said the agency had secured a restraining order on the United Kingdom (UK) accounts of fraudsters of fuel subsidy regime, explaining that the EFCC was formalising ways of getting the funds forfeited and repatriated to Nigeria.

While thanking the UK government for its support in the fight against corruption in Nigeria, he urged the High Commissioner to use his office in the repatriation of funds belonging to the importers back to the Nigerian government.

"You have supported us in the area of capacity-building and we do hope that in few years to come, we would be proud to say that corruption has been brought to its lowest level," Lamorde said.

"The UK authorities helped to restrain some funds belonging to the fuel subsidy suspects in the UK. We are formalising ways to get the funds forfeited and repatriated to Nigeria. We want the support to continue."

During his meeting with the minister, Obi had identified energy as a key component of the manufacturing sector, insisting that no meaningful growth can occur without power, which would drive manufacturing and guarantee economic growth.

According to Obi, power situation has continued to improve in Anambra, and as an industrial base in Nigeria, "Onitsha and Nnewi are towns that have become critical components of the nation's industrial revolution."

He expressed his eagerness to see a rejuvenated power supply in his state, stressing that the transformation agenda could only take place when industries are manufacturing at installed capacities, thereby giving multiplier effects in the provision of employment and growth of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).



The Guardian