The president of Good Governance Initiative (GGI) and Igbo Man of the Year 2015, Mr Festus Mbisiogu has praised the statesmanship of President Goodluck Jonathan, who peacefully conceded defeat and congratulated his Opponent and President elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, charging him on the provision of steady power supply for the people.
In a news conference after the elections, Mbisiogu, a Nigerian businessman based in Guangzhou, China, who has been fighting for improved electricity supply in Nigeria, commended the president for his efforts in the power sector and delivering on his promise to ensure credible elections.
“In August-September 2013, when the unbundling of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) was completed and 10 Distribution Companies (DISCOs) and five Generation Companies (GENCOs) effectively took over the defunct PHCN, some of us heaved a sigh of relief.
“It was very thoughtful on the part of President Goodluck Jonathan who heeded the cries of many of us in unbundling that government parastatal, which had been bogged down by officialdom, bureaucracy and inefficiency.”
Citing cases of incidents caused by epileptic power supply, Mbisiogu said that it is unimaginable that at this time in the history of our great country, we are losing some of our brightest, our generation to avoidable accidents caused by poor electricity.
“It is the urge to avoid such tragic incidents that I decided to champion the course of steady power supply in the country three years ago when I formed Good Governance Initiative (GGI) a Non-Governmental Organisation dedicated to achieving sustainable energy in Nigeria.
“Our investigation has shown that despite the unbundling of PHCN, it has not in any way benefited the masses, rather, the investors and the government that are collecting taxes are the ones benefiting. Prolonged power outage and high electricity bills; demand for outrageous fees by staff of the company for the installation of pre-paid metres, which ordinarily should be free; compiling bills without commensurate spending by consumers are some of the attendant problems facing the sector today. Apparently government failed to demand a timeline of performance from the investors. This was what the GGI advocated earlier,” Mbisiogu said.
Congratulating the president-elect, General Buhari for his victory in the elections, Mbisiogu, who was instrumental in the establishment of the Nigerian Consulate in Guangzhou, China, said that he should remain focused in delivering on his major campaign promises of fighting corruption and ensuring a steady power supply for Nigerians.
“We congratulate General Mohamad Buhari whom Nigerians have called to bring the change that we clamour. By his antecedents, we know he can deliver on his two major campaign promises of eradicating corruption and giving the people a steady power supply. We hereby call on him to consolidate on the effort of President Jonathan on the power sector,” he said, adding that in this age and time, Nigeria with the largest economy in Africa should not depend on generator for power supply.”
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