A civil society organisation, Peoples Right Agenda (PRA) has alerted that a cabal sponsored by some APC members and opposition elements in Oyo state are after the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu’s job.
The CSO in a statement on Sunday in Ibadan jointly signed by its national coordinator, Tunde Olaoshebikan and secretary, Isaac Olatona, said the cabals, some APC members, opposition elements in Oyo state were already mounting pressure for the redeployment of Chief Adelabu.
According to PRA, “in doing this, they are now sponsoring campaign of calumny as well as embarking on sponsored attacks on the Minister of Power and his effort to make a difference in the Nigeria power sector just to frustrate the Minister.”
The statement maintained further that, of all the Ministers in the cabinet, Adelabu is the only one that those behind these campaigns have singled out for re deployment out of all the Ministers appointed by the president, some of who we barely know exist.
“Adelabu has come in as a Minister of Power who desires to do things differently and this is what those who do not want the country to enjoy stable electricity are not happy about. We know the attacks are sponsored because these people want the status quo to continue,” it said.
PRA added: “The media assaults and the attacks were sponsored by different stakeholders who desire the status quo to continue and political detractors who see nothing good in what the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is doing to make Nigeria a country that we would be proud of.
“Apart from those who are unhappy with the reforms going on in the sector, a lot of political undertones have also been observed that clearly shows the campaign of calumny is sponsored even from within the All Progressives Congress (APC) and some opposition elements in the minister’s home state of Oyo.”
According to PRA, “Since the day of ECN (Electricity Company of Nigeria), NEPA (National Electricity Power of Nigeria), PHCN (Power Holding Company of Nigeria) , Nigeria has had over 40 ministers of power, the total megawatts to the national grid has not significantly improved and that the highest the country had ever pushed out was around 4000 megawatts except about two years ago when 5800 megawatts were wheeled to the grid.”
