By Musa Adamu
Abuja
Federal Ministry of Power and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) have jointly launched a Safe Power Infrastructure Campaign (SPIC) to sensitize Nigerians on the need to protect electricity infrastructures in their communities.
This initiative was launched in Ogori community in Kogi state during Ovie Osese annual cultural festival where the minister of state for power, Mohammed Wakil, attributed infrastructure damage, especially gas pipelines, transformers and power lines, as a problem to power increment.
Wakil noted that the federal government was worried by incessant vandalism of power infrastructures in the country, a menace he said was slowing down the efforts of the administration to adequately transmit electricity to homes and industry.
He explained that NOA was selected for the partnership because of its local reach and network. “We will take this campaign across every community in Nigeria. We will appoint ambassadors who will spread the message. Safe power infrastructures, saves the nation,” he said.
He further said the initiative was critical as protection of national assets and particularly electricity infrastructures was key to the national development. “The asset belongs to every Nigerian and we must secure it and stop its vandalism and destruction.”
In his speech, the NOA Director General, Mike Omeri, said his agency was ready to partner with the Federal Ministry of Power to make the campaign a huge success.
He also emphasised that the initiative would complement other partnership with the ministry for the liberalisation of the power sector.