Our N8bn Budgetary Provision Misconceived, Says Adelabu

The Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, has clarified the misconception about the N8bn in the 2025 budget appropriation of the ministry.

He said the amount is specifically meant for advocacy, education, enlightenment and the provision of technology to protect power infrastructure.

The minister said the move is also aimed at enlightening Nigerians on the need to protect and take ownership of the power infrastructure and other national assets.

THE WHISTLER recalls that a section of the media had reported that N8bn out of the over N2tn proposed as the 2025 budget for the power sector was meant for sensitization on payment of electricity bills.

The Special Adviser to the Minister on Strategic Communications and Media Relations, Bolaji Tunji, in a statement he issued in Abuja on Thursday, quoted him to have said that the ministry had no such need to preach to Nigerians about the need to pay for electricity consumed by them as the various distribution companies (DISCOs) are capable of recovering debts owed them by those who enjoy their services.

According to Adelabu, the budgetary amount is meant to sensitise Nigerians to the need to show patriotism in their attitudes and conduct towards national assets, especially power infrastructure.

He said: “Far from what is being canvassed, the Federal government is deeply worried about acts of sabotage that have continued to erode the gains made in the last one and a half years in electricity supply to Nigerians.

“It is important to correct the impression that N8bn is being proposed for sensitization on electricity payment.

“We are all aware that in the last few months, acts of vandalism have continued to throw different parts of the country into the darkness with vandals planting bombs under power towers and carting away power lines and cables, the recent one being the vandalism of underground cables that has thrown many parts of Abuja into darkness. It is therefore important to protect the power infrastructure.

“Our advocacy would entail sensitization across the 774 LGAs and 36 States and Abuja; it would entail the use of electronic platforms such as radio and television, social media, newspapers, and billboards to re-orient Nigerians on the implications of vandalizing power infrastructure and the need to sensitise Nigerians to own this infrastructure.

“It would also require the engagements of the different community stakeholders across the geopolitical zones in town hall meetings, engaging local security men to protect such assets. This would also involve the deployment of technology to safeguard these assets.

“Also, the Ministry will embark on some CSR (corporate social responsibility) projects across many of the host communities to our power installations to motivate and encourage them for protection by local hunters and security personnel. All these will cost so much.

“More specifically, the advocacy will take us to all the nooks and crannies of the country; we will hold meetings with the leaders, stakeholders and youths. We will run television and radio jingles; we will go on social media so that we can reach those we need to address this issue.

“We will reach them in their local languages and dialects. So, you can imagine how much this will cost, but we believe that this will help us to address this issue and arrest it. This is essentially what this budgetary allocation is meant for,” the minister said.

“So, saying the Ministry has budgeted N8bn on sensitization on payment of bills is showing a lack of understanding of all the problems in the power sector.”

Our N8bn Budgetary Provision Misconceived, Says Adelabu is first published on The Whistler Newspaper