Babatunde Fashola, minister of works, power and housing, has advised those displeased about his supervision of three ministries to tender their complaints to President Muhammadu Buhari.
Responding to a question at a town hall meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, Fashola said he only plays a supervisory role in the ministries.
He added that Buhari decided to merge three ministries in order to reduce the cost of running government.
“Whether I can cope with three ministries or not, let us be clear on this. On the one hand, we have spoken about the cost of running government. And in trying to mitigate or reduce that cost, Mr. President, in his own wisdom, decided to merge three ministries together,” he said.
Advertisement
“So, my work really there is supervisory and directional. Today in the ministry of works, and in the ministry of housing, where there are over 4000 personnel, the number is reducing. The ministry of power has barely 800 staff today and the number is reducing as we are gaining traction.
“So, it is no longer a government-driven sector, it is now a government-regulated sector driven by private sector. And if you have issues about that, I think you should complain to Mr. President. For me, the privilege is to serve my country in whatever capacity I am designated to.”
Fashola said over the years, the ministries that were merged together have had close working relationship.
Advertisement
He explained that his role as the overseer of the ministries is just directional, noting that the privatization of the power sector has made things easier.
“Two of those ministries have had a natural relationship over years, they were either works and housing, or lands, works and something. In adding power to it, let us remember that essentially the work that is left in power is just to complete the privitisation and complete the transmission grid.
“The distribution is now in the hands of companies. All of the work that NEPA (National Electric Power Authority) used to do is now in terms of distributing power is now in the hands of 11 companies. What they used to do in terms of generating power is now in the hands of six companies.
“The agency called NERC (National Electricity Regulation Commission (NERC) is the regulator of the power sector, in getting licenses issued and so on and so forth. And a statutory company called MBET. All of these institutions are taking positions and evolving.”
Advertisement
9 comments
Mr BRF, the honest truth is that you’re overwhelmed. There’s no power nationwide even after you advised us to swallow the hike in electricity tariff, now we’re virtually paying for darkness. Ordinary enforcement of prepaid meters you can’t implement, then what exactly is your job. All we get are weekly lectures from you, only greed and pride will allow someone like you remain with three ministries even in the face of obvious poor performance.
Maybe if he had said : “power generation , transmission and distribution is no longer controlled by government, but by the private sector” you will understand.
@ SnitraM, there’s nothing to be understood from the nonsense he’s saying. He’s a minister of a critical ministry that’s failing and all he does is give excuses and lectures all over the place. I don’t expect people like you who major in little things to be critical in reasoning and demand accountability from government.
Suit yourself
Good talk Mr BRF. All Nigerians are saying is ENOUGH OF THESR BIG GRAMMER AND EXCUSES, LET THERE BE LIGHT, GOOD ROADS AND BETTER HOUSING POLICY. Shikena
all we want is positive result Mr fashola. stop lazy work
All i need from you guys is to be ptnt with this government pls
Nigerians are funniest lot in the universe when there was need to complain when being taken for a ride for about 16 solid years nobody did if the last administration were to be perfect the new one couldn’t have won an election,my advice for the new administration is continually carry us along with honesty and fear
of God. Long live Nigeria and Nigerians.
People like u are dangerous to live in Nigeria, u never see anything wrong with the suffery of Nigerians. U re wicked defending APC lack of ability