The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has upbraided the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, for earmarking N8 billion in the 2025 federal budget to sensitise Nigerians on the need to pay electricity bills.
The NLC’s position was conveyed in a statement signed by its President, Comrade Joe Ajaero in Abuja.
The Federal Ministry of Power had proposed a budget of N8 billion for 2025 to educate Nigerians on the importance of timely payment of electricity bills.
Adelabu during his budget defence at the National Assembly on Monday, revealed the initiative, which he said aims to address the challenges of power , poor payment habits, and the protection of national power assets.
Adelabu explained that the campaign would be conducted through multiple media platforms, including social, digital, and print, to reach Nigeria’s diverse population of over 200 million effectively.
The minister emphasised the need for a nationwide reorientation regarding the country’s power sector.
He noted that many Nigerians still need to understand that electricity is not a free resource and that the sector’s infrastructure and assets must be protected to ensure a stable power supply across the nation.
But responding to the comments made by the minister, Ajaero said the ministry’s demand was “absurd”, urging those in the Power Ministry and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission to reinvigorate the sector and save it from total collapse.
The statement highlighted gross corruption in the power sector, and the inability of the leaders to find lasting solutions to power challenges despite huge investments in the sector.
It said: “The Power sector in Nigeria is at the brink of collapse as the helmsmen have repeatedly shown gross incompetence. It is a sector where the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) despite the enormous power invested in it by the Electricity act of 2023 has continuously demonstrated incapacity to regulate or outrightly refused to discharge its responsibilities to electricity consumers in Nigeria while the Minister in charge is enamoured with seeking about N8billion (Eight Billion Naira) to teach Nigerians how to pay electricity bill.
“It is therefore not surprising that power grid collapse is now a constant as it has continued to succumb to greed and crass incompetence.
“Whereas the Minister seeks N8 billion (Eight Billion Naira) to educate us, contractors in the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) who help in delivering capacity are owed over N200 billion (Two Hundred Billion Naira).”
Ajaero, who highlighted the contributions of various unions in the power sector, alleged that the ministry was not being run by competent hands.
He said: “If not for the intervention of the Unions in the sector in December, 2024, the procurement Committee would have added to this burden by sitting down to award more contracts.
“We are truly surprised at where the priorities of the leadership of the sector lay.
“If the Ministry of Power is manned by competent officials, the now embarrassing constant grid collapse would have been averted instead of the worrying statement by the Minister that this will continue as if this has always been the norm.
“We believe that this is a clear admission of incapacity and failure by the Ministry and we wonder why they would not do the honourable thing by resigning.
“It has to be noted that the number of times the national grid has collapsed under these helmsmen is more than all the previous leaders in the history of our nation combined. Rather than the garrulous remarks, Nigerians expect more seriousness in handling their affairs.
“It is unimaginable that NERC colluded with deafening silence with the Board of one of the DisCos to sack its Managing Director for exposing the unethical practices in the DisCo.
“Whistle blowing as far as NERC is concerned has become an offence so, instead of an organization that is supposed to reward and protect a whistleblower, it rather connived to punish and sack the official.
“This is an organisation that is saddled with ensuring transparency and efficient running of the Electricity sector but chose the contrary.
“NERC is therefore telling Nigerians that it is not prepared to discharge its mandate and has thus failed woefully which explains the shambles in the sector.
“It is on this basis that we express our profound disappointment and outrage at the absurd quest for allocation of about N8 billion in the 2025 federal budget for the so-called “sensitisation of Nigerians on the need to pay electricity bills,” as disclosed by the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, during his recent budget defence in the National Assembly.”
It called on the management of the Power Ministry and NERC to reinvigorate the sector and save it from total collapse.
“Our position on this is clear, we will not stand idly by while public funds are wasted in the name of governance. This is another glaring reminder of why Nigeria remains in its current state of economic stagnation and why incompetence continues to thrive unchecked,” the NLC said.
NLC warned that failure to address this issue will further erode public confidence in government institutions and exacerbate the already dire socio-economic conditions facing millions of Nigerians.
“We will continue to monitor developments in this regard and will not hesitate to mobilise against any attempt to use the budget process as a vehicle for waste,” the statement added.
Adelabu denies report, states how he plans to spend the N8b cash
Adelabu has denied requesting for N8 billion solely for sensitization on electricity bills payment.
His media aide, Mr. Bolaji Tunji made this known while responding to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) that has asked the minister to resign for seeking N8 billion to sensitize Nigerians on the payment of electricity bills.
Tunji, in a Whatsapp message, said: “It is important to correct the impression that N8billion is being proposed for sensitization on electricity payment.
“The minister never said the money would be spent on sensitization on electricity payment.”
Lamenting act of vandalism that has continued to throw different parts of the country into darkness with vandals planting bombs on power tower, carting away power lines, the Minister said there is a need to protect the power infrastructure.
According to him, the fund would be most spent on a nationwide sensitization.
It would also include the use of the radio, television, social media, newspapers, and billboard to reorientate the citizenry on the setbacks of vandalism of power assets.
Adelabu said it would also entail the engagement of various community stakeholders such as security men to keep surveillance on the infrastructure.
He said: “This would entail sensitization across the 774 LGs and 36 States and Abuja, it would entail the use of electronics i.e radio, television; the social media, newspapers, billboards to re-orientate Nigerians on the implications of vandalizing power infrastructure.
“It would also require the engagements of the different community stakeholders across geo political zones in town hall meetings; engaging local security men to protect the assets. So, saying that the Ministry has budgeted N8billion on sensitization on payment of bills is either showing a lack of understanding of all the problems in the power sector.”
On the issue of incessant grid collapse, Adelabu said government is making efforts continuously to tackle the problems.
According to him, it is a known fact that over the years, the infrastructure has been neglected and allowed to decay to a state of dilapidation.
He said they are being gradually tackled. Continuing, the minister said: “The Siemens project is one of the ways of tackling this.
“The pilot stage of the Siemens project that will ensure the installation of 10 power transformers and the mobile substations is about 95 percent completion.
“The 2nd phase will see to the construction of 14 brown field substations and 20 green field substations.
“Agreement has been signed for the construction of 5 substations starting Q1.
“This will further strengthen the grid capacity and reduce instances of grid collapse. Not only that, the SCADA project is still ongoing.
“It should be noted that when the present administration came on stream, the generation stagnated at about 4000 megawatt, and within that period, over 1000 megawatt has been added to the grid reaching an all-time high of 5,270 megawatt.
“All the Minister of power is asking for is the cooperation of all to ensure that the renewed hope agenda as it relates to the power sector which is crucial for economic development is achieved.
“Under the pilot phase of the Siemens project 10 power transformers and 10 mobile substations were supposed to be purchased and installed.
“We have installed 8 power transformers and five mobile substations in the following areas: Apo in Abuja, Okene in Kogi, Amuse in Delta, Ihovbor in Edo, Maryland in Lagos, Potiskum in Yobe, Ajah in Lagos, Birnin Kebbi in Kebbi state, Jebba in Niger State, Kwanar-dangora in Kano State, UI, Oyo State, and Sapade, Ogun State.
“This has helped in stabilizing the grid. The major issue today is vandalism which is drawing us a few steps backward.”
The Nation
