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HALLIBURTON AND SIEMENS BRIBERY SCANDAL AND FORMER JUSTICE MINITER, MR MOHAMMED ADOKE BELLO (SAN): WE ARE VINDICATED! – CACOL

CACOL had suspected that Mr. Mohammed Adoke Bello (SAN), was going to abet corruption even before he assumed office as Minister of Justice;based on this we had advised the Goodluck Jonathan led government not to ‘’appoint proven incompetent  people’’ as ministers. Adoke as the Attorney General of the Federation AGF; exhibited arrogance of impunity when he moved round the country to withdraw cases that the anti-graft agencies were painstakingly pursuing in the courts in a bare-faced effrontery to create escape routes for corruption criminals whose cases were in the courts. He actually acted like a hatchet-man who was on a mission to kill the anti-corruption drive of the country. His antecedents even earned the notorious nickname, ‘Nolle Adoke’, for his ignoble role in seeking nullifications of several corrupt cases.
Our suspicion came to bolder relief in year 2010 when we stumbled on information that the former Minister coordinated bribery scandals where spurious ‘legal fees’ involving up to about $26 million USDwere paid to prosecution counsels even though the accused were never prosecuted in any court which led CACOL to play its’ role as a patriotic organisation with an objective to combat corruption; by blowing the whistle on Mr Adoke through protest marches backed with petitions to the EFCC and ICPC submitted on 26th July, 2011 at their Head Offices in Abuja.
The re-opening and resumption of activities on the Halliburton and Siemens bribery scandals with the aim of bringing those culpable in the bribery and money laundering scandals to book and putting the case in the limelight again by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) thus deserves commendation as the war against corruption continues.
CACOL is indeed vindicated considering that as a coalition; we blazed the trail in the efforts to bring the former Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Mr.Mohammed Adoke Bello (SAN) to book for his role in the Halliburton and Siemens bribery scandals by our protests and petitions in which CACOL specifically requested EFCC ‘’to as a matter of urgency and national interest investigate that Hon. Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr Mohammed Bello Adoke coordinated a bribery scheme that extorted $26 million USD from about 10 multinational companies involved in the Siemens and Halliburton scandals in the last quarter of 2010’’.
As a Coalition focused on its objectives; with the fight against corruption at the centre of these objectives, we remain consistent on our position on the Siemens and Halliburton scandals and still by our petition to the EFCC on 26 July, 2011.
‘’We are urging the EFCC to continue along this path and to vigorously pursue the case or cases to logical conclusions within the ambit of the law. The EFCC should even look beyond the former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Joseph Daudu (SAN); the immediate past Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke (SAN), Emmanuel Ukala (SAN), Chief Godwin Obla (SAN), Mr. Damian Dodo (SAN), and Mr. Roland Ewubare for their alleged involvement in the $182m Halliburton scandal. Everyone else involved in the Halliburton and Siemens scandal must pay for their crimes, no matter who they are’’, Executive Chairman of CACOL, Mr. DeboAdeniran said when speaking on the EFCC’s decision to re-open the Halliburton and Siemens scandals, describing it as ‘long overdue’.
‘’We reiterate the need for diligence in investigations, prosecutions and procedure; the situation where culprits of corruption escape justice based on wobbly prosecutions or investigations must be left in the past if the anti-corruption will be effective for our national development.When the culprits of corruption do not get punitive due to them for their crimes to serve as deterrent, then at best, the whole anti-corruption garb; of the present government, the agencies and citizens could described as a big charade.’’ Mr Adeniran added
It is our desire to see the agencies treat all suspected corruption criminals in the same way in order to send appropriate message to innocent Nigerians that corruption is a shameful act. This is in line with CACOL’s perpetual advice through its pay-off line – Name, Nail, Shame and Shun corrupt leaders anywhere, everywhere.
 
Mr. Wale Salami
Media Coordinator, CACOL
080141121208
February 16, 2016.
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NO TO THE ILLEGAL HIKE IN TARRIF FOR ELECTRICITY – CACOL

The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL), finds the insensitive hike in the tariff for electricity very provocative and illogical. We note that in spite of public outcry against any hike, the Power sector under the Ministry of Works, Power and Housing superintended upon by Mr. Babatunde Fashola, former Governor of Lagos State has gone ahead to illegally impose a tariff hike on electricity on Nigerians for services not rendered to them. This is flagrant and audacious corruption in a situation where the government is pontificating that it is against corruption and illegality.

“Mr. Babatunde Fashola, should be told that the Ministry he superintends over is not meant for the kind of antics that he got away with in Lagos state when was governor and trampled roughshod on the peoples’ right and public opinion, this is Nigeria, this is National and it is hugely above the microcosm that he evolved from.’’ The Executive Chairman of CACOL, Mr. Debo Adeniran said.

We make bold to say with every sense of responsibility that it’s the PHCN, the DISCOs, NERC that owe Nigerians money and apologies for not rendering services that they received money for and continue to receive money for, albeit, forcefully. Therefore we reject this hike in electricity tariff in totality, we demand that, power supply should be made available and accessible to all and a billing system that will be transparent, reasonable and commensurate to consumption. The DISCOs and NERC can take a cue from Telecommunication sector by providing meters; fixing the cobweb-like cables that dangle over the heads the people, mount poles etc. first, any other approach is like putting the ‘cart before the horse’ and therefore illegitimate and irrational!

Speaking further, Mr. Adeniran said ‘’every Disco should be enforced to meter all its customers. The demand by the distribution companies for cost reflective tariff so as to remain in business should be placed side by side with effective service delivery, after which the issue of tariff increase can now come. Until we fix our power sector, all the talk about the industrial revolution plans and creating jobs/wealth for Nigerians, will just be mere talks and a waste of time. The power issue is overly dragging and by now ought to have been a thing of the past. All hands must be on deck to make sure Nigerians have stable power/electricity supply.’’

 

We therefore enjoin the activist community, the masses, the Labour Movement and all that abhors exploitation and oppression to rise and resist the demonic and unjustifiable hike in electricity tariffs. We must move against the ‘change’ we did not vote for, to protect our being, and the struggle for a humane society.

 

Macjob Temitope

Media Officer, CACOL

08029215000

temitope@thehumanitycentre.org

cacolc@yahoo.com,cacol@thehumanitycentre.org

February 8, 2016.

         

         

For more press releases and statements, please visit our website at

www.corruptionwatchng.com, www.cwatch.thehumanitycentre.org

         

         

For more press releases and statements, please visit our website at

www.corruptionwatchng.com, www.cwatch.thehumanitycentre.org

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THE BEKO RIGHTS KLUB TO COMMEMORATE 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSAGE OF DR BEKO RANSOME KUTI. CALLS NATIONAL PARDON FOR BRIGADIER ENITAN RANSOME KUTI

THE BEKO RIGHTS KLUB TO COMMEMORATE 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSAGE OF DR BEKO RANSOME KUTI. CALLS NATIONAL PARDON FOR BRIGADIER ENITAN RANSOME KUTI

The Beko Rights Klub (BRK) has lined up activities to commemorate the 10 year Anniversary of the passage of its’ Mentor, Dr. Bekololari Ransome Kuti who passed on February 10, 2005.

Activities lined up for the commemoration will witness the laying of Wreaths at the Graveside of the late Hero of the masses; a rally at Anthony Village (Anthony Oke) in Lagos, where the Beko Ransome Kuti Garden is located and a Motorcade rally to the Lagos state House of Assembly (LAHA) and the Governor’s Office where letters of plea will be handed to the Speaker and the Governor for onward transmission to the National Assembly and Presidency. The BRK will call on the Honourable members and the Lagos government to lend their voices to the passionate plea of the Klub to the Federal government and President Muhammed Buhari for a National Pardon for the son of Dr. Kuti, Brigadier General Enitan Ransome Kuti.

Convenor of the Beko Rights Klub, Mr. Debo Adeniran said ‘’the Klub is utilising the occasion of the commemoration of Beko’s passage to call on the Nigerian government to grant Brigadier General Enitan Ransome Kuti, son of our late Hero, National Pardon with regard to the case of ‘mutiny’ against him following the decision of the Military to Court martial him after the Baga massacre carried out by Boko Haram Insurgents in January 2015. Brigadier-General Enitan remains in imprisonment till date, even though history has absolved him.’’

‘’We are strongly convinced that the revelations reeled out from the Arms procurement scandal and the DasukiGate confirm his innocence and patriotism. In fact, we believe with those expositions, the actions of Brigadier General Enitan and others are justiciable, reasonable and dialectical.’’ Mr. Adeniran added.

 

Other details of the One day Programme are:

 

Date: 10 February 2016

 

Time: Procession starts at 9 AM from Obalende to Ikoyi Cemetery for laying of Wreaths, then Procession to Beko Ransome Kuti Garden, Anthony Village (Anthony Oke) by 11 AM for Speeches

Theme: Human Rights Democracy and the Rule of Law: Any Conflict with Anti-Corruption War?

 

Signed:

Debo Adeniran,

Convenor, Beko Rights Klub

 

 

 

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THERE MUST BE NO SACRED COWS AS THE ARMY COMES UNDER PROBE AND SCRUTINY – CACOL

The Coalition Against Corrupt leaders (CACOL) lends its’ voice in support of the Presidential committee investigating arms procurement between 2007 and 2015 which has started a fresh investigation into the purchases of equipment by the Army during the period and the directive by the Chief of Army Staff that all Army Personnel in Public Office should declare their assets within the next 14 days.
 
Chairman of the CACOL, Mr. Debo Adeniran, described the recent steps in combating corruption in the Army as bold and encouraging, because they are indicative that there would be no sacred cows in the war against corruption unlike the hitherto existing situation. He added that, “the anti-corruption drive cannot be effective if business is allowed to continue as usual. All corrupt persons whether Civilian, Military, Police, EFCC, ICPC, Customs etc. must be treated as what they are, criminals, without caring whose ox is gored.’’
 
CACOL holds the view that, as a matter of fact, corruption in the Army and other security agencies is supposed to be dealt with more severely considering the training along the line of discipline and integrity received and supposedly imbibed by these personnel. “A wicked, most inhuman and most incomprehensible example, is the diversion of funds meant for arms procurement for the war against insurgency and to protect National sovereignty which led to the avoidable loss of lives of soldiers; civilians in their thousands; and property worth billions of naira, this is treasonable and unacceptable.’’ the Chairman of CACOL said.   
 
“The era of Army Personnel or any Nigerian in Public offices acting with impunity and enjoying immunity alongside must be ended. A criminal, is a criminal, we demand that anyone found culpable in corrupt practices must be brought to book regardless of their status. We must continue along the path of naming them, shunning them, shaming them and jailing to serve as deterrent to other corrupt persons or potentially corrupt persons. Anything less will not suffice and could jeopardise the war against corruption.’’ the group asserted.
 
Macjob Temitope
Media Officer, CACOL
08029215000
January 21, 2016.
         
         
 
          For more press releases and statements, please visit our website at
 
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CACOL WELCOMES THE HANDCUFFING OF CORRUPT LEADERS

The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) has described as distractive, the dust being kicked by some individuals and groups over the appearance of the Spokesperson of the People Democratic (PDP), Mr. Olisa Metuh in handcuffs at the Federal High Court in Abuja for the hearing on his application for bail following his arraignment on seven counts of money laundering against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

 

The Executive Chairman of CACOL, Mr. Debo Adeniran, stated that “Olisa Metuh’s appearance in handcuffs at the hearing is in line with standard procedure and has not violated the constitution in anyway. What we are witnessing is the attempt to whip up sentiments and empathy in favour of corrupt elements that have over time drained the Commonwealth of the Nation with rabid and bare-faced impunity.”

 

CACOL as an organization, according to the Chairman, have consistently called for the naming, shaming and nailing of corrupt leaders and individuals irrespective of religious, ethnic, political and social inclinations. As a result, we welcome the development as it tallies with the strategy of the organization in battling corruption.

 

CACOL calls for diligent prosecution of all corrupt persons such that convictions of those found guilty can be achieved to serve as deterrent to others. It is an open secret that these corrupt individuals have at their disposal, ill-gotten gains with which they can pay for legal services of the cleverest lawyers who can wriggle through the labyrinth of the litigations to escape justice. With prudent, diligent and thorough investigations and prosecutions, we can win the battle against corruption. Mr. Adeniran said.

 

Those raising the question of differential treatment in the handling of persons on trial for corruption, CACOL believe should note that Metuh was reported to have been recalcitrant, unrepentant, unremorseful, and un-cooperative to the extent of tearing up his own written statement when he was been interrogated, it is only wise for all agencies involved in his case to take precaution based on discretion and the suspect’s attitude which clearly was that of arrogance and being above the law.

 

“The PDP Spokesperson’s case cannot be compared with that of some suspects that cooperated with investigating agencies, volunteered information and demonstrated remorse. And come to think of it, he is not the only public figure that has been cuffed during trial processes, examples are former Governor of Kogi state, late Abubakar Audu, in 2013 over a case of 10 billion naira fraud and Alhaji Tafa Balogun, a former Inspector General Police, in 2005, who was also cuffed during his trial following his attempt to escape justice by jumping down from the moving van that was conveying him to remand. In any case no known law has been violated in this case.’ the CACOL Chairman averred.”

 

It is our desire to see the agencies treat all suspected corruption criminals in the same way in order to send appropriate message to innocent Nigerians that corruption is a shameful act. This is in line with CACOL’s perpetual advice through its pay-off line – Name, Nail, Shame and Shun corrupt leaders anywhere, everywhere.

 

 

Macjob Temitope

Media Officer, CACOL

08029215000

temitope@thehumanitycentre.org

cacolc@yahoo.com, cacol@thehumanitycentre.org

January 20, 2016.

         

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www.corruptionwatchng.com, www.cwatch.thehumanitycentre.org

 

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Corruption: It’s time to name and prosecute all suspects – CACOL

Published on January 20, 2016 by
The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL, on Tuesday said Nigerians have had enough of revelations of how public funds were squandered by some Nigerians, especially in the last administration.

The organisation said it was time for the Federal Government to publish and list the names of all those who have allegedly stolen the nation’s common-wealth if the government truly desires to succeed in the anti-corruption war it has espoused.

Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, had on Monday said 55 former government functionaries and top businessmen stole N1.34 trillion from the public treasury in eight years.

Lai Mohammed categorised the officials involved in the corrupt practices to include former state governors, ex-ministers, former legislators, civil servants, bankers and other businessmen.

The Minister had said: “between 2006 and 2013, just 55 people allegedly stole a total of N1.34 trillion in Nigeria. That’s more than a quarter of last year’s national budget.”

CACOL, in its own contribution to the series of reactions that had so far greeted the federal government’s revelation said though the minister was correct, the revelation by him should culminate in the prosecution of the suspects.

Executive Chairman of CACOL, Comrade Debo Adeniran, said: “we say enough of the exposé.

“What we want to hear now is diligent prosecutions and thorough adjudication. Corruption criminals should be thoroughly investigated, and no criminal should be allowed to go unpunished.

“Anybody guilty of corruption should be punished to serve as deterrent to others and there should be opportunity for anti-graft agencies to freeze assets of suspects that are found to be living so much beyond their legitimate earnings so that they will not have the opportunity to use proceeds of corruption to strike the government.”

Adeniran, however, reiterated that Lai Mohammed’s revelation aligned with the belief that only one per cent of Nigerians enjoyed 99 per cent of the nation’s commonwealth and since this has been established, Nigerians are interested in addressing the issue through the judicial process.

“The anti-graft war should not leave any stone unturned, it should not have respect for sacred cows, and everybody should be treated as being equal before the law.

“Also, the loopholes in our law and the corruption in the judiciary are all there to frustrate the war against corruption so the Judiciary needs to be sanitised.

“The Federal Government should also ensure that the anti-corruption agencies are strengthened; they should be given more funds, more personnel, equipment, training, and protection.

“Every case that is supposes to go to ICPC should be directed to the Commission and the ones meant for the EFCC should be thoroughly pursued by the EFCC.

“Nigerians are interested in the case; even if the suspects escape justice, they should be able to ostracize and shame them,” Adeniran said.

 

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CACOL Backs Custom’s Comptroller- General Assets Declaration Directives Urges Other Public Officials To Make Theirs Public Too

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Col Hammed Ali (retd), has directed all officers of the Nigerian Customs Service to make full disclosure of their assets within 14 days. The directive which was reportedly contained in a circular signed by the CG and addressed to all Deputy Comptrollers-General, Zonal Coordinators and Customs Area Controllers was aimed at ensuring transparency and compliance with the rule of law. Continue reading “CACOL Backs Custom’s Comptroller- General Assets Declaration Directives Urges Other Public Officials To Make Theirs Public Too”

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CACOL Lauds EFCC For Reopening Siemens, Halliburton Cases

The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) has lauded the efforts of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to reopen the investigation into the $180million Siemens, Halliburton scam, saying it will ensure diligent prosecution of all culprits and it will enable the nation to get more of the looted funds from the United States.

 

The Federal Government has reportedly ordered security and legal operatives to revisit the Halliburton scandal involving Nigerians, who received bribes from the international company. It was reported that during the last administration of Goodluck Jonathan, attempts were made to look into the case again but it was thwarted by some officials. The American government’s report on the Halliburton bribery scandal had indicted the former presidents, a minister, intelligence chiefs and corporate giants in the list of bribery beneficiaries.

 

The Halliburton scandal concerned the payment of millions of dollars to senior Nigerian officials to secure a construction contract for a liquefied natural gas plant in Bonny Island in the Niger Delta. German industrial conglomerate Siemens subsequently agreed to pay a $1.6 billion settlement to U.S. and European authorities for bribery of officials around the world, including Nigeria. A court in Germany had indicted Siemens and sentenced its top Executives to various terms of imprisonment for bribing Nigerian officials to the tune of 1.3billion Euros. Halliburton and its former subsidiary, Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR)  entered a guilty plea and agreed to pay $579 million, the largest corruption settlement ever paid by a U.S. company in high-level bribery cases involving payments from multinationals to secure contracts in Nigeria and other countries. In Nigeria, the senior government officials that received the bribes were never charged to court.

 

Our background information has it that on November 22, 2010, Siemens reportedly reached a settlement agreement with the federal government under which Siemens will pay 7billion Nigerian Naira (approximately $46.5 million) to the Nigerian Government in exchange for the EFCC dropping charges against Siemens AG, Siemens Nig Ltd and four of its officers.  The settlement payment was variously described as “restitution” and “disgorgement.

 

In connection with the TSKJ / Bonny Island bribery matter, on November 25, 2010, it was reported that the EFCC arrested ten Halliburton employees in Nigeria during a raid of the offices of Halliburton Energy Services Nigeria Limited in Lagos, as well as one employee each from Saipem Contracting Nigeria and Technip Offshore Nigeria.  On December 7, 2010, the EFCC reportedly filed corruption charges against Halliburton, former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney (who was the CEO of Halliburton during the period at issue), Albert Stanley (a former CEO of KBR), David Lesar (the then current CEO of Halliburton) and William Utt (the then current CEO of KBR).  Technip, Snamprogetti and JGC Corporation were reportedly also charged on the same day.

 

There were allegations that the former Hon. Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Justice Mohammed Bello Adoke coordinated a bribery scheme that extorted about $26 million USD from about 10 multinational companies involved in the Siemens and Halliburton bribery scandals in the last quarter of 2010.

 

CACOL in respect to the allegations wrote a petition on the 26th of July 2011 to the former President, Goodluck Jonathan and the EFCC under the reign of Madam Farida Waziri on the role played by the then Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr Mohammed Bello Adoke in not prosecuting that case and request for a thorough investigation of $26million USD bribery allegation against former Attorney General and Minister of Justice.

 

The amount was believed to have been collected under the official cover of making the accused multinational companies pay the legal fees of prosecution counsels even though the accused were never prosecuted in any court of the land to warrant such unethical secret levy. While the EFCC and the Ministry of Justice and Office of the Attorney-General have listed various sums of money totaling about $240million as funds recovered in fines and penalties from these multinational companies, no one has dared mention the $26million or more secretly extorted from these companies and who the beneficiaries are.

 

Speaking through its Executive Chairman, Debo Adeniran commended the EFCC under the administration of its acting Executive Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Mustafa Magu for reopening the bribery scandal cases as it is a way of ensuring that all those who participated in the bribery scam are investigated and charge to court. This he said, “was practically demonstrated yesterday when the EFCC had to send somebody down from Abuja to make CACOL adopt the petition it wrote since 2011. That signals the seriousness to which the EFCC is treating the case.”

 

According to Adeniran, “it was only a few of them that came to the open during the previous investigations. Some powerful names were mentioned which include former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Vice-president Artiku Abubarkar and some companies that belong to the former Head of State, Abdusalami Abubarkar. $110 million was reportedly received during former President Olusegun Obasanjo tenure. The companies that belong to the former Head of State, we also learnt from reliable sources paid their way out of prosecution and that is why CACOL is insisting that Obasanjo and others should be called and intensively interrogated over their involvement in the international bribery scandal. The amount involved could have been staggering which led to none proseque of all the companies that were involved in the Siemens, Halliburton cases.

 

“The EFCC showed initial enthusiasm to prosecute the culprits until we discovered the involvement of the Ministry of Justice and the Office of the then Attorney-General of the Federation. Justice Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN negotiated the prosecution out and made it impossible for the EFCC to prosecute the case. That was where they were able to get a refund of $240 million which they claimed they got through plea-bargains.”

 

In its opinion, the Coalition believes it is not plea-bargains but what could be described as an underhand billing which is not known to the law because there was nothing official about the negotiation that led to the withdrawal of the case against the companies involved.

 

The Coalition, CACOL therefore urge the EFCC and all other security agencies that would be involved in the fresh investigation to ensure that diligent prosecution is made. We also urge the EFCC to file appropriate charges against anyone found to have abused his office in this matter at the end of investigation. No stone should be left unturned in the case, so that Nigerian will no longer be the laughing stock to the Comity of Nations.

 

 

 

Macjob Temitope

Media Officer, CACOL

temitope@thehumanitycentre.org

cacolc@yahoo.com, cacol@thehumanitycentre.org

08029215000

January 15, 2016.

 

 

 

For more press releases and statements, please visit our website at

www.corruptionwatchng.com, www.cwatch.thehumanitycentre.org

 

 

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CACOL: Fashola must get his priorities right

Dec 23 2015 – 11:12pm

Eromosele Ebhomele


Fashola
A Nigerian anti-corruption organisation, the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL, on Wednesday raised serious concerns over how the National Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, suddenly carried out the “recent threat” made by Mr. Babatunde Fashola, the Minister for Works, Housing and Power, that Nigerians have to pay more for electricity.

NERC had on Monday indicated 45 percent increase in charges for different categories of consumers across the country.

CACOL tasked Fashola’s administration to start by examining the performance in the power generation, transmission and distribution companies and take necessary action against their non-performance rather than towing the line of his predecessors where consumers are forced to pay for the power they did not consume.

Head of CACOL, Debo Adeniran, lamented that Mr. Fashola did not allow the issue to go into debate before allowing NERC to announce the increase.

“That the tariff was increased shows that the power minister never gave consideration to the opinion of the National Assembly, and that is a clear departure from democratic norm.

“There should be checks and balances which should be respected by the three arms of the Federal Government. We expected that the Power Minister would have allowed the debate on the increment to get to a logical conclusion before carrying out his threat.

“With the power segment now wholly private sector-driven, Nigerians expect better services. However, our recent experience has been far from pleasant with so many issues ranging from metering gaps resulting in estimated billing system, load rejection from the distribution companies due to poor infrastructure, in-arbitrary increase in tariff, constant and sustained tariff review, etc.

“All these impact negatively on the consumers because it did not reflect in the quality of service delivery,” Adeniran said.

To Adeniran, fixed charges are actually exploitative and removing them is no favour to the people because the tariff increase is a disservice to them in the first place.

“It is stealing from one hand and giving to another. Ordinarily there is no reason why people should be made to pay fixed charges for the power they do not consume.

“Nigerians thought that with the privatisation of the power sector just like the telecom industry, Nigeria would be the better for it. All of these today has proven to be a fluke.

“The current situation has put so many people out of business, and taken away from others their means of livelihood. Artisans and small business enterprises (SMEs) that are catalysts for economic development have closed shops due to our incessant power failure. Power is not a luxury but a necessity,” Adeniran emphasised.

Urging Fashola to urgently intervene in the country’s power crisis that keeps taking its toll on the various sectors of the Nigerian economy, Adeniran further called for a review of Nigeria’s power sector policies with a view to enhancing optimum performance.

The country has continued to rely on just about 4,000 megawatts of power and Adeniran thinks more need to be done to up the scale.

“APC should match its words with action because they never said that they are going to make life more difficult for the people.

“The power minister must ensure to tackle the various challenges facing the power sector.

“Furthermore, every Disco should be enforced to meter all its customers. The demand by the distribution companies for cost reflective tariff so as to remain in business should be placed side by side with effective service delivery, after which the issue of tariff increase can now come.

“Until we fix our power sector, all the talk about the industrial revolution plans and creating jobs/wealth for Nigerians, will just be mere talks and a waste of time,” he said.

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OUR POWER MINISTER NEEDS TO GET HIS PRIORITY RIGHT – CACOL

The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL), has raised serious concerns on the way the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), suddenly carried out the recent threat made by Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), that Nigerians have to pay more for electricity.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission on Monday, 21st of December, 2015 announced new tariffs payable by electricity consumers, indicating 45% increase in charges for different categories of consumers across the country. Continue reading “OUR POWER MINISTER NEEDS TO GET HIS PRIORITY RIGHT – CACOL”