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Tag: fashola

  • Nigeria now generating 6,803MW of electricity – Fashola

    Nigeria now generating 6,803MW of electricity – Fashola

    The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, on Monday said power generation and transmission in the country had improved.

    A communique issued at the 18th monthly power sector and stakeholders meeting in Kano, chaired by Mr. Fashola, said power generation improved beyond what was recorded in 2016.

    “As at August 10, 2017, 6803MW was recorded as the current available generating capability, with a wheeling capacity of 6700MW by TCN, currently constrained by DisCos inability to take load,” the communique read.

    “This is in line with incremental power policy with improvements from TCN improving the wheeling capacity from 5000MW to 6700MW.”

    Commenting further, the minister said the Federal Government was doing its best to ensure improvement in electricity supply.

    “Government has embarked on serious expansion of transmission capacity with some power plants already completed, while others have reached advance stages of completion,” he said.

    He also assured support for any state willing to be involved in generation and distribution of electricity, adding that there was no monopoly in the business of electricity generation and distribution and that state governments and big companies could also involve in the business.

    “Large power consumers like government and big manufacturing companies can engage in power supply business. All they need to do is to secure permit from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC),” he explained.

    Speaking further, he noted that: “The Discos have the obligation to meter their customers, but that they must provide them with meters for effective metering before charging them.”

    The meeting also noted that meter provision is not a monopoly of DisCos but is open and regulated by NERC and NEMSA, adding that the democratisation of meter provision is intended to reduce conflict between customers and DisCo and reduce losses in the sector.

    According to the communique, in line with efforts to reduce energy theft in the country, Ibadan DisCo announced arrest of an ex-staff by EFCC for meter infiltration and the meeting lauded the support of security agencies in the efforts to reduced financial losses in the sector.

    Meanwhile, it was announced at the meeting that the best performing DisCo of first quarter 2017 was Ikeja DisCo and the best performing GenCo was Omotosho I.

  • How Fashola saved FG from N119bn Court Judgement Liability

    How Fashola saved FG from N119bn Court Judgement Liability

    Frees up another N39.17Billion held under another Judgement in Court to be used now for the supply of electricity metres to the DisCos

     

    The Ministry of Power, Works and Housing has, through negotiations and compromise, saved the Federal Government a staggering sum of N119,369,520,000 resulting from a judgement entered against it over a litigation from a metering contract awarded by the previous administration in 2003.

    The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN, who disclosed this at a press briefing after Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council Meeting, said the one of the three memoranda the Ministry took to the Council for approval was in respect of an inherited liability from the former Ministry of Power.

    He explained that the judgement came “as a results of acts of officials of government who varied the Presidential approval without seeking further directives from him”.

    According to Fashola, the officials of government varied the Presidential approval without seeking further directive from him and then awarded the contract on that basis adding that the party who was the beneficiary of that contract “which the officials subsequently sought to withdraw” went to court and got a judgment.

    The Minister, who cited the incident as an example of some of the problems inherited from the last administration, added, “But we have successfully reached a compromise on that matter where the judgment has been compromised for the entire sum of N119 Billion to N19,369,520. So, Government is no longer liable to, under this new agreement, to pay that amount”.

    Pointing out that the negotiations took about the entire period of his tenure as Minister to achieve”, the Minister added that the successful negotiation was able to free up another N39.17Billion held under another Judgement in court to be used now for the supply of electricity metres to the DisCos adding that all of the disputes arose from a contract to supply 3,000,000 metres entered into with the contractor and NEPA, which became PHCN, in 2003; about 14 years ago.

    “The contract was never fully performed by both parties; either by the contractor or government. So, from the very early days they ended up in court. Government constituted one committee after the other to resolve the matter. So, there was court judgement, money was left in the bank, the purpose couldn’t be achieved. Then a new contract was created which became a liability of N119Billion”, he further explained.

    Fashola, however, expressed delight that the Federal Executive Council approved the Memo “to give effect to the negotiations that we were able to put together to compromise that judgement entirely and to convert the old N39Billion to a loan to that contractor so that they can use it to supply metres to the DisCos” through new rules being developed by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

    The Minister said one of the other two memoranda sent to Council by his Ministry was with respect for approval to construct the Pankshin-Balang-Yeleng-Sara-Gindiri Road in Plateau State for N10.461Billion while the second one was with respect to Share- Pategi Road in Kwara State for N10.29Billion adding that both prayers were approved by Council.

  • News Hour 03-08-2017 I TNGtv

    News Hour 03-08-2017 I TNGtv

  • Fashola, reps sheath sword, lists 44 highways, 63 roads to be repaired

    …says his speech on 2017 budget not meant to disparage lawmakers

    With the Minister of Power Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN, clarifying that he never attacked the National Assembly as a body and the Chairman House Investigative Committee on Breach of Privilege, Violation of Appropriation Act and Incitement of the Nigerian Public, pledging the support of the House to the Minister to succeed in his assignment, a truce was Friday reached between the House and the Minister on the disagreement over the outcome of the 2017 Budget.

    The Committee had invited the Minister over the statement credited to him with regards to the alterations in the Ministry’s 2017 Budget, requesting that he clarified his pronouncement at an interview he granted soon after the passing of the budget which the House viewed as having “queried the power of the National Assembly to alter the 2017 budget proposal after the budget defence exercise”.

    In his presentation before the Committee, which also included detailed maps, letters from contractors and the Budget related documents on the Federal Government’s plans and priorities for roads nationwide, Fashola, who said he never referred to the Legislators as a whole with regards to the knowledge of the budget process, said his response was specifically to the Spokesperson of the House who accused him of being “untruthful” in a Press Statement.

    The Minister also pointed out that the interview he gave to a media platform which prompted the investigation was an expression of his concern about the state and pace of development of the country’s infrastructure and the consequences they have on the quality of life and expectations of Nigerians.

    “ Mr Chairman, Hon. Members thank you very much. Let me say once again that my response hopefully has shed some light on the way matters have transpired about what led to what. As I have said here, it was not my intention to disparage the Parliament. It was my intention to speak about development as a continuing matter and if my statement had caused any discomfort beyond what I intended I certainly apologize for that. And I’ve made that very clear before that I’m not fighting the Parliament,” he said.

    In his response while rounding off the proceedings, Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Aliyu Sani Madaki, expressed delight that the disagreement had been amicably resolved promising that henceforth the relationship between the National Assembly and the Minister would be much better than hitherto.

    The Chairman, who described the Minister as a Senior Citizen, declared, “I am sure that from now going forth the relationship between not just the House of Representatives but the National Assembly and the Honourable Minister will be much better than we were having it before this sitting”.

    Pledging that the National assembly would give him every assistance needed for him to succeed in his current assignment, the Chairman added, “Like I alluded, whenever I am talking to other people and his name comes up, I use to say ‘Mr. Prime Minister’ because of the volume of job God has placed on his table”, expressing confidence that the Minister would excel in his assignment on “not just Lagos-Ibadan, not just the Second Niger Bridge, but including Kano-Maiduguri, Kano-Abuja and all other roads”.

    The Minister, had in the course of the proceedings while responding to issues specifically slated for clarification like the status of reconstruction work and budgetary provision for Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and Abuja-Kano Expressway in 2016 and 2017 as well as status of 2nd Niger, reiterated the Federal Government’s established plans to build road and bridge network across the country as well as the order of priorities in which they would be built through a revolving plan in the next three years 2017- 2019.

    Fashola reiterated that the intention was to connect states, drive economy, move fuel, food and import and export of goods.

    The Minister said in addition to the plan for 44 Federal Highways construction contained in the 2017 Budget, government has also identified 63 roads in the First Quarter of the year that were identified and prepared for emergency intervention across the country ahead of the rainy season to give relief to Nigerians subject to appropriation.

    According to the Minister, the 63 roads were identified and prepared for intervention during the inspection tour of roads in 34 states of the Federation by the Ministry which he personally led.

    He said for the purpose of effective implementation, the Federal Government has classified the roads into Critical Economic Routes and Agricultural routes to include all roads traversing geopolitical zones, advancing trade and commerce across the states and leading to the ports as well as those passing through agricultural areas across the country.

    Noting that the road projects are spread out in such a way that no zone has been left out, Fashola listed the proposed priority highway projects slated in the 2017 Budget to include Kano-Katsina Road (Phase 1: Kano Town at Dawanau Roundabout to Katsina State Border), Sokoto-Tambuwal-Jega-Yauri Road, Ilorin-Jebba-Mokwa-Bokani Road, Ilorin-Kabba-Obajana Road (Sections 1&11), Ibadan-Ilorin Road, Section11 (Oyo-Ogbomosho), Lagos-Shagamu-Ibadan Dual Carriageway, Sections 1&11 and Lagos-Otta Road.

    Also included are Apapa/Tincan Port, NNPC Depot (Atlas Cove) to Mile 2 Access Road, Apapa-Oshodi Road, Third Mainland Bridge, Apapa/Tincan Island Port-NNPC Depot Access Road, Benin-Ofosu-Ore Ajebandele-Shagamu Road, Obajana Junction-Benin Road Phase 2: (Sections i-iv), Sapele-Ewu Road Sections 1&11, Second Niger Bridge, Onitsha-Enugu Expressway (Amansea-Enugu State Border), Yenegoa Road Junction-Kolo-Otueke-Bayelsa Palm and Bodo-Bonny Road with Bridge.

    Others are Odukpani-Itu-(Spur Ididep-Itam)-Ikot Ekpene Federal Highway Sections 1&11, Ikom Bridge, Enugu-Port Harcourt Dual Carriageway Sections i-iv, Calabar-Ugep-Katsina Ala Road, Vandeikya-Obudu-Obudu Cattle Ranch Road, Oshegbudu-Oweto Road, Oju/Loko-Oweto Bridge with approach roads, Nassarawa-Loko Road, Abuja-Lokoja Road Sections i&iv, Suleja-Minna Road Section 11. Kaduna Eastern Bypass, Kano-Maiduguri Road Section 1-1V, Hadejia-Nguru-Gashua-Bayamari Road and Kano Western Bypass.

    Those listed as critical economic routes include Zaria-Kano Road, Abuja-Lokoja Road (Sections i-iv), Ilorin-Jebba-Bokani Road, Ibadan-Ilorin Road (Sections `1&11), Lagos-Shagamu-Ibadan Road (Sections1&11), Benin-Ofosu-Ore-Ajebandele-Shagamu Road and Obajana-Benin Road (Sections i-iv).

    Also in the list are Onitsha-Enugu Road (Section 1&11), Enugu-Port Harcourt Road (Sections i-iv), Calabar-Odukpani-Itu Road (Section1), Calabar-Ugep-Katsina Ala Road (Sections 1&11), Alesi-Ugup (Iyamoyung-Ugup) Road, Ogoja(Mbok Junction) Abuochichie Road, Otukpo Township Road, Kano-Maiduguri Road(Sections i-v), Kaduna-Zaria Road and Kaduna-Katsina Road.

    According to the Minister, roads that pass through agricultural areas across the country include Sokoto-Tambuwal-Jega-Kontangora-Makera Road (Sections 1&11), Makurdi-Naka-Ndoka-Ankpa Road, Akure-Ondo-Ore Road and Benin-Sapele Highway. Rubber Research Institute of Nigeria-Iyanomo Road.

    Others are 9th Mile-Enugu-Port Harcourt Road, Abakaliki-Afikpo Road Sections 1&11, and 9th Mile-Oturkpo-Makurdi Road, Ogboko (Yandev Junction)-Katsina Ala (Ugbema Junction) Road, Wukari-Mutum Biyu-Jalingo-Numan Road, Section1, Numan Jalingo Road, Gombe-Numan Road, Maiduguri-Dutse and Kano-Zaria Road.

    The 63 roads slated for emergency interventions, which cut across the six geopolitical zones of North East, North West, North Central, South West, South East and South South, include construction of bridge at KM 32 along Billiri Filiya in Taraba and the repair of Billiri-Filliya Road in Gombe, Potiskum-Agalda-Gombe State Border (S/B) and Potiskum-Kari-Bauchi S/B Road in Yobe State.

    Also included in the list are Tella Road and Bridge 2 Abutment and Apawa-Junction-Zing-Adamawa (State Border) in Taraba State, Bauch-Darazo-Kari Road in Bauchi State, Numan-Lafia-Gombe State Border Road, Numan-Jalingo Road, Numan-Guyuk (Borno State Border) and Ngurore-Mayobelwa Road in Adamawa State, all in the North East.

    In the North West, roads listed for emergency repairs include Birnin Gwari Road in Kaduna, Kebbi-Argungu-Sokoto (State Border) Road in Kebbi State, Gusau-Chafe-Katsina Road in Zamfara, Rimawa-Sabonbirnin-Niger Republic Road (Section 1), Rimawa-Sabonbirnin-Niger Republic Road (Section 2) and bridge embankment in Sokoto State, Gumel-Mallam Madori-Hadeija Road, Birnin Kudu and Babaldu-Malumuwa-Bauchi S/B Road, among others in Jigawa,Yayasa Bridge in Kano and Dusinma-Kankara Road in Katsina State.

    Makurdi-Lafia Road and Makurdi-Gboko Road in Benue, Okene-Kabba Road and Kabba-Omuo Road in Kogi, Ajase-Offa-Erinle-Osun State Boundary Road in Kwara, Keffi Abuja Road and Keffi-Gittata-Kaduna S/b Road, Nassarawa-Toto-Abaji Road in Nassarawa and Jebba-Mokwa Road, Bida-Lapal-Lambata Road and Makera-Tegina Road in Niger State are listed for repairs in the North Central.

    In the South West, roads listed for repairs include Ibillo-Isu-Epinmi-Akungba Road and Owo-Akure Road in Ondo, Ilesa-Ijebu-Ijesa Road, Ijebu-Ijesa-Ekiti S/B and Ibadan-Ile-Ife-Ilesa Road, Osun S/B-Ilesa in Osun, Ibadan-Ile-Ife-Ilesa Road in Oyo, Ijebu-Ode-Epe-Ibadan Road in Ogun and Ikorodu-Shagamu in Lagos,while in the South East, Abakaliki-Oferekpe Road in Ebonyi, Nsukka-Adani-Anambra S/B Road in Enugu State, Umuokpor section of Ikot Ekpene-Aba Road in Abia and Ihiala-Orlu-Umuduru Road, Owerri-Okigwe, among others make the list in the South East.

    Roads that make the list in the South-South include Ikot Ekpene-Ikot Umoessien-Abia S/B Road in Akwa Ibom, Ebiama-Yenegoa Road in Bayelsa, Auchi-Igarra-Ibillo-Ose Bridge Road and Benin-Ofosu-Shagamu Road in Edo, Ebouchichie-Gakem Road in Cross River, Benin-Asaba Dual Carriageway, Asaba-Illa-Ebu-Edo S/B Road, Igbodo, Benin- Asaba Expressway and Warrri-Sapele-Edo S/b Road in Delta State among others.

    Over 45 bridges, according to the list, are slated for rehabilitation over the next three years. They include two bridges along Sokoto-Gusau Road, Murtala Mohammed Bridge, Koton Karfe, River Ebba to Cheche Bridge, Jebba Bridge, 3rd Mainland Bridge, nine Lagos Bridges and flyovers, Lagos Ring Road Bridge Abutment, Ijora 7-Up Bridge, Ijora-Apapa Bridge by Leventis and burnt Marine Bridge.

    They also include Utor Bridge, Niger Bridge at Onitsha/Asaba, Onitsha-Owerri Bridge, Ibagwa Bridge, Ikom Bridge, Itigidi, Makurdi Bridge, Quata Sule Bridge, Katsina Ala Bridge, Buruku Bridge, Abuja-Abaji Bridge Section 11, Loko Owotu Bridge, Ibi Bridge, Kudzum Bridge, Gombe-Michika-Maraba Bridge, Gamboru Bridge, Katanko Bridge, Jaji Bridge, Borno/Adamawa State Border Bridge, Falani Bridge, Sumaila, Flyover Bridge at Silver Jubilee and Tambuwal Bridge

    While noting that the Federal Character Commission through its Acting Chairman, Dr Shettima Bukur Abba at the 23rd National Council on Works in Abuja acknowledged that the priority given to projects across the country “are Federal character compliant and of benefit to all Nigerians” Fashola, however, expressed regrets that budgetary constraints would have a negative impact on such priority projects.

    According to him, the two principal contractors working on sections of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Messrs Julius Berger and Reynolds Construction Company (RCC) (Nig.) Limited, have given notice of suspension of work on the site due to delay in the payment of agreed contract fees on work already done, which they complained was adversely affecting the pace of work and could lead to default in meeting completion deadline.

    According to the letter, which the Minister submitted to the Committee, written by RCC, which handles Section 11 (Shagamu-Ibadan) of the contract, “In view of the irregular payment and the attendant cash flow problem, we shall be constrained to suspend further execution of work unless there is an appreciable improvement in the Project’s cash flow and adequate funding arrangement is put in place for further works”. The letter, dated June 2, 2017, was signed the Managing Director, Mr. M. Nakhla.

    A similar letter to the Minister received at the Ministry on June 5, 2017, Julius Berger, which handles Section 1 (Lagos-Shagamu Dual Carriageway), wrote, “Honourable Minister, it has become evident that the required adequate funding for the continuation of the project is not available. We trust that you will understand that therefore and as a consequence of the unacceptable financial risk to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, we are left with no choice than to immediately commence suspension of the Works on the project, as earlier notified”. It was co-signed by the Division Manager, Mr. W. Loesser and the Commercial Division Manager, Mr. T. Meletschus.

  • Comments on 2017 budget: Fashola appears before Reps, denies insulting lawmakers

    The Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) has appeared before members of the House of Representatives to clear the air on his alleged offensive comments on the 2017 budget.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the minister had about a month ago raised the alarm that the National Assembly ‘smuggled’ some strange items into the 2017 budget.

    In his words: “What I have in my budget now is primary healthcare centres, boreholes,’’ he said at an interactive session with editors on Thursday.

    “That was the meeting we had with the Acting President and that was the reason why the budget was not signed on time.

    “We were ask to complete those abandoned projects; the budget of Lagos-Ibadan Expressway was reduced by the National Assembly from N31 billion to N10 billion.

    “We are owing the contractors about N15 billion and they have written to us that they are going to shut down.

    “Also, the budget of the 2nd Niger bridge was reduced from N15 billion to N10 billion and about N3 billion or so was removed from the Okene-Lokoja-Abuja road budget.’’

    Fashola added: “Everybody is complaining about power supply but they also cut the budget for Manbila power project and the Bodo bridge that connects the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Station was also cut and all these were also discussed.

    “If after we have defended the budget and we had gone and the legislature unilaterally changed the budget, what is the purpose of deliberation?’’

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the National Assembly members took offence and lashed out at the minister saying his attempt to blackmail them before the public will not work. They further summoned him to appear before them to clear the air on his comments on the budget.

    The minister who appeared before the honourable members alongside his aides as early as 9.45am told the Aliyu Madaki-led adhoc committee that there was no time he deliberately disparaged the National Assembly as alleged.

     

    Details later…

  • Fashola highlights challenges of housing in Nigeria

    The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, says the major challenges of housing development in the country are financing, affordability and acceptability.

    Fashola said this at the 11th Abuja International Housing show and Construction Industry Exhibition organised by Fesadeb Media group on Monday in Abuja.

    The theme of the three-day show is: “Solving Nigeria’s Housing Challenge through Innovative, Finance and Infrastructure Solution.”

    According to him, majority of the estates are not occupied due to inadequate infrastructure, which discourages people who are interested in owning property.

    Fashola said: “As we discuss housing finance, let also understand that financing is not only the problem, there are many others, there is the issue of affordability and also that of acceptability.

    “We have empty houses in many states of the federation, why are they not occupied, can people afford them; if they can afford them, do they like the way they were built?

    “It is a problem, we must connect and build to the taste of the home taker, I think the financing and infrastructure problem will remain with us as long as we live.”

    He said that the ministry had in the past one year designed a national housing model in response to the climatic and cultural diversities of Nigerians.

    Fashola said that the size of the problem in the housing sector should not affect the enthusiasm of Nigerians to find solutions to the present housing deficit.

    He said: “Let us focus more on what we can contribute, what we can do; rather than how big the problem is.

    “It is indisputable that housing is a problem globally; so let us focus less on how big it is and focus more on what we can do.”

    Also speaking, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, said the present administration was ready to address the problem of housing deficit in the country.

    According to Odigie-Oyegun, the event is geared toward identifying the challenges of housing deficit with a view to creating innovative housing strategies and infrastructure that will provide decent and affordable housing to all.

    He said the APC would deliver on its mandate of providing quality and affordable housing for Nigerians.

    Earlier, in his remarks, Malam Ibrahim Aliyu, the Chairman Urban Shelter Limited, said the three key words in the theme: finance, infrastructure and innovation were achievable.

    Aliyu said that Nigeria was deficient in the provision of basic amenities for its citizenry as there were some cities in Nigeria that could not boast of tap water supply for 24 hours.

    He said: “The first attraction of a good city is the first class infrastructure, which is why people migrate to cities.

    “We have a problem, we have not put in place a structure for basic infrastructure on a continuous sustainable bases.”

    According to Aliyu, the high rate of mortgage is the reason why mortgage financing, the foundation of sustainable housing is not very sustainable in Nigeria.

     

  • Jonathan made mistakes, but Buhari is a mistake – Reno Omokri

    Jonathan made mistakes, but Buhari is a mistake – Reno Omokri

    The spokesman to former President, Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri, has described President Muhammadu Buhari as a “mistake”.

    Omokri also told Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, to stop making excuses and do his job.

    On his official Twitter account, Omokri wrote that before the All Progressives Congress (APC) came into power, Fashola had promised stable electricity, if only the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is voted out.

    However, he is now blaming Jonathan, for reducing electricity tariff.

    Omokri wrote: “Fashola in 2014: The only way to get stable power is voting out PDP”

    “Fashola today: We can’t get power because GEJ reduced tariff to get vote

    “PMB will do well-moving @tundefashola from being in charge of generating power for Nigeria to being in charge of generating excuses for govt.

    “The main difference between GEJ/PDP and PMB/APC is that @GEJonathan made his mistakes as President while @MBuhari is a mistake as President.

    “The major difference between the PDP and the APC is that the whereas the PDP had some confirmed liars as members, the APC is itself a lie!”

  • Power supply will improve from August – Fashola assures Nigerians

    Power supply will improve from August – Fashola assures Nigerians

    The Minister of Power Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) on Thursday assured Nigerians of improved power supply starting from August.

    The minister revealed this during a lecture delivered at the University of Lagos themed:“Power sector reform In Nigeria: challenges and the way forward.”

    “We are working round the clock to solve the (power supply) problem. We are going to get more power by August.

    “How we get equipment, transformers, and all of the equipment needed within the next cycle of 60 to 90 days is critical so that we don’t lose all that energy that is coming from the raining season,” he added.

    The Pro-Chancellor of UNILAG, Dr Wale Babalakin (SAN), said the only solution to Nigeria’s problems is “first class education”.

    Giving a remark at the event , Babalakin said: “The most enduring solution to Nigeria’s problems is applied intelligence and this can only be attained through first class education. In thinking of this solution, we must be creative. We have a fair idea of the resources of the government. It is only through very serious technical application to very good resources that we can solve our problems.

    “There is need for cerebral application of our resources. We have everything; we just need a change of attitude. The most gifted people are not those with aptitude, but those with attitude. Aptitude is great with natural resources but attitude can be developed. I urge the intelligentsia, let us collectively develop the solution.

    “It is sad that we are far behind in education and we are indifferent. How do we resolve this? Let us all collectively find a solution. Education, as the engine room for the resolution of Nigeria’s problems, must be fostered.”

    In his lecture, Fashola said “If you don’t pay for electricity, you have violated a law. But we are now trying to make that law stronger, and we are looking at how to include fines and to increase the consequences. We want to make it easier to comply than to violate,” he said.

    He also explained that meters are calibrated differently for different distribution companies, adding that for a meter to be transferred, it has to be recalibrated by the distribution company in its new area of use.

    “There are different types of consumers and therefore they require different kinds of meters. Meters are calibrated differently for each distribution company. So, the meter that Ikeja disco has – if you move them from Ikeja disco, they must be recalibrated before you can use them. If you use the wrong meter, you’ll pay the wrong tariff,” he warned.

    On the agitation to cancel the privatisation of the power sector, the power minister said, “Instead of saying ‘cancel the privatisation,’ I would rather say, let us rework the privatisation and re-engineer it to make it work.

    “When people ask us to cancel the privatisation, I ask them how that impacts our moving forward when we demonstrate that we are a nation that cancels a respecting contract. Where are we going to get the dollars to refund (the contractors)? Because they paid in dollars and I don’t think they would accept naira. We cannot keep canceling, there must be a point where we can make things work and I guess that is what this administration is about. We can make it work,” the minister said.

     

  • My disagreement with lawmakers is not about sharing national cake – Fashola

    Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, on Tuesday, advised Nigerians not to misconstrue his disagreement with the House of Representatives over his ministry’s budget, saying the debate focuses on how to develop Nigeria and not about sharing the national cake.

    The minister who made the clarification, while fielding questions from State House correspondents, said, “let me make it very clear that many of the Senators and honourable members are my personal friends; so, you don’t fight your friends.

    “I say that the words that we use will potentially redirect our attention from what the real issue is. I don’t think that a feud is the right word to use.

    “A disagreement; yes, a very healthy disagreement. Don’t forget that we are not disagreeing about who should head what. We are not disagreeing about who should take what share of the national cake.

    “We are disagreeing about how to develop Nigeria and that for me is very healthy for our democracy.’’

    He said the nature of his disagreement with the House of Representatives was not personal but geared towards finding the best ways of implementing the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan of the Buhari presidency.

    Fashola expressed the belief that the leadership of the National Assembly are on the same page with the Executive on the implementation of the economic agenda of the present administration.

    He, however, admitted that it was possible that “in the heat of the moment while trying to canvass our different positions we are misconstrued as fighting but I am not fighting anybody.’’

    He added that his responsibility both as a minister and a citizen will be “to continue to engage,’’ stressing that he had no intentions of fighting anybody.

    The minister, however, expressed confidence in the leadership provided by the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, the Senate President and the Speaker.

     

    NAN

  • 2017 Budget: Reps summon Fashola over alleged projects insertion

    The House of Representatives on Tuesday summoned the Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), over his allegation that the National Assembly inserted projects in the 2017 budget.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Minister had last month raised the alarm over the insertion of projects outside the purview of his ministry in the 2017 Appropriation Act by the National Assembly.

    Both chambers of the National Assembly had however refuted the allegation while insisting the minister was bent on pitching them (the lawmakers) against Nigerians.

    The minister is expected to appear before members of an Ad hoc Committee of the House on a date to be determined by the committee.

    The summon followed the unanimous adoption of a motion under matter of privilege moved by Rep. Sadiq Ibrahim (Adamawa-APC) and seconded by Rep. Aliyu Madaki (Kano-APC).

    Relying on Order 6 Rule 1 and Rule 4 of the House Standing Order, Ibrahim said that Fashola’s claims breached the privileges of the lawmakers.

    The allegation had caused ripples in the public domain as the minister accused the legislators of altering the allocations for critical projects under his ministry in the budget.

    He had said that the insertion in the ministry’s budget was made in favour of scores of boreholes and primary health care centres in the legislators’ constituencies.

    While condemning the allegation, Ibrahim said that the minister’s comments were capable of inciting Nigerians against the lawmakers.

    “By this singular act, the minister has breached the privilege of the House.

    “Freedom of speech is a constitutional right and everybody has a right to enjoy it; however, Fashola has spoken on an issue agreed upon between the executive and the legislature and laid to rest.

    “Fashola abandoned the official channel of communication to the National Assembly and decided to go to the media to make his assertions.

    “The budget is an Act and the minister is making a pronouncement on an Act.

    “There is need for Fashola to appear before an ad hoc committee to be set up by this House to give answers to his comments.

    “It is an attack on all of us and capable of causing friction between the executive and the legislative arm of government,’’ Ibrahim added.

    Contributing to the motion, Rep. Kingsley Chinda (Rivers-PDP) said that though the image of the House was at stake, “I will appeal to the House to hold its gunpowder since the matter is investigative in nature’’.

    “It is right to invite Fashola to come and throw more light not only to this House but to Nigerians on the veracity of his claims,’’ Chinda said.

    Also, the Chief Whip of the House, Rep. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa (Kano-APC), said that Fashola’s assertion was capable of truncating democracy in the country.

    According to Ado-Doguwa, each component of the three arms of government has specific functions to perform and we must defend our mandate.

    “Not only that the minister’s action breached our privileges individually and collectively as an institution, it has also undermined a budget worked upon by the National Assembly and assented to by the Acting President,’’ he said.

    The Speaker of the House, Mr Yakubu Dogara, referred the motion to a 14-member ad hoc committee to be chaired by Madaki.