President Buhari discloses Sabotage, Theft undermines Power Supply

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that sabotage and theft of gas are undermining the efforts of the Government to increase power supply in the country, insisting that the existing Military Task-Forces will be reorganized to ensure a successful protection of the network of gas pipelines to tackle the problem.

The President, who said this in a question-and-answer interactive session with the Nigerian community in Tehran, the Islamic Republic of Iran noted that although some improvement in power had been recorded in the recent period, sabotage of pipeline installations continue to be a problem. He told them that Nigeria has everything it takes to generate enough power.

“Power is a running battle because the saboteurs are still there. We have all the potential. We have gas, we have qualified people, but we are contending with a lot of saboteurs, who go and blow up installations. When gas is pumped to Egbin and such other power stations, thieves and saboteurs such as the militants cut those supplies,” the President informed.

He also cited other factors such as reduction in the role of the Government in the sector due to the privatization of the institutions under the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) in the process of which facilities have been sold to a number of interest groups. He assured that the Military Task-Forces with representation from the Army, Navy, Air Force, the Police and other security agencies will be reconstituted to secure the pipelines. “Supplies will become steady; there will be less sabotage as we secure the pipelines,” he stressed.

President Buhari also updated Nigerians in Tehran on the efforts of his administration towards ending the Boko Haram insurgency and terrorism in the country, explaining that a lot has been achieved following the reorganization of the military top command and increased equipment supply and training.

In a response to a question on the need to improve healthcare delivery, the President said that efforts have been intensified towards ridding the country of fake drugs and fake doctors and also what he called “the disgraceful aspects” manifested by “baby factories.” He also enumerated several steps being taken towards the revival of education from primary school level to university.

Speaking on the creation of jobs, he placed the prevailing joblessness in the country at the door-step of the last administration which he blamed for giving a devastating blow to the economy through corruption and incompetence. Buhari said that something urgent will be done about the bad condition of roads, citing the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway as one to be addressed from next week by the Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde Fashola.

While highlighting the issue of corruption – one of the three issues he identified as the priorities of his administration, Buhari said that the necessity for compliance with due process of the law was responsible for the delay in the prosecution of the looters of the country’s economy. He further noted that the day of reckoning is gradually coming. Adding, a number of past officials have begun the voluntary return of stolen funds, expressing the view that his Government is not satisfied with tokens.

“We want to have everything back, all that they took by force in 16 years,” the President posited.