Press reports says
The President, who said this Tuesday in a
question-and-answer interaction 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 continued to be a
problem. He told his audience that Nigeria had
everything it takes to generate enough power.
"Power is a running battle because the saboteurs
are still there. We have 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," President Buhari said.
He also cited another factor as the reduced 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, he said, the 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 the Nigerians in
Tehran on the efforts of his administration
towards ending the Boko Haram insurgency and
terrorism in the country, explaining that a lot had
been achieved following the reorganization of the
military top command, followed by increased
equipment supply and training. In a response to a
question on the need to improve healthcare
delivery, the President said that efforts had been
intensified towards ridding the country of fake
drugs and fake doctors, and also what he called
"the disgraceful aspects" manifested by "
factories." He also enumerated several steps
being taken towards the revival of education from
primary school level to university. 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."
The President 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, who sat next to
him at the meeting. Speaking on the issue of
corruption, one of the three issues he identified
as the priorities of his administration, President
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 noted however, that the
"the day of reckoning is gradually coming." He
also revealed that a number of past officials had
begun the voluntary return of stolen funds but
expressed the view that his government was not
satisfied with tokens."We want to have everything
back – all that they took by force in 16 years,"
the President concluded.
GARBA SHEHU Senior Special Assistant to the
President (Media & Publicity) November 24, 2015.
The President, who said this Tuesday in a
question-and-answer interaction 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 continued to be a
problem. He told his audience that Nigeria had
everything it takes to generate enough power.
"Power is a running battle because the saboteurs
are still there. We have 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," President Buhari said.
He also cited another factor as the reduced 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, he said, the 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 the Nigerians in
Tehran on the efforts of his administration
towards ending the Boko Haram insurgency and
terrorism in the country, explaining that a lot had
been achieved following the reorganization of the
military top command, followed by increased
equipment supply and training. In a response to a
question on the need to improve healthcare
delivery, the President said that efforts had been
intensified towards ridding the country of fake
drugs and fake doctors, and also what he called
"the disgraceful aspects" manifested by "
factories." He also enumerated several steps
being taken towards the revival of education from
primary school level to university. 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."
The President 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, who sat next to
him at the meeting. Speaking on the issue of
corruption, one of the three issues he identified
as the priorities of his administration, President
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 noted however, that the
"the day of reckoning is gradually coming." He
also revealed that a number of past officials had
begun the voluntary return of stolen funds but
expressed the view that his government was not
satisfied with tokens."We want to have everything
back – all that they took by force in 16 years,"
the President concluded.
GARBA SHEHU Senior Special Assistant to the
President (Media & Publicity) November 24, 2015.
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