By George Mgbeleke
\nDemands explanation for failure to honour 24-hour electricity campaign promise; asks why merit and technical competence have been sacrificed for political patronage<\/p>\n
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has challenged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to explain why his administration appears unwilling to confront the worsening electricity crisis in the country despite making efficient and reliable power supply a major pillar of his second-term re-election promise.<\/p>\n
HURIWA said it was particularly disturbing that Nigerians continue to endure prolonged blackouts, erratic electricity supply and outrageous electricity bills while the Federal Government appears comfortable issuing repeated explanations instead of delivering lasting solutions.<\/p>\n
The association expressed concern that the President has remained largely indifferent to the worsening situation in the power sector, despite the enormous economic and social consequences of persistent electricity shortages on households, businesses, industries, hospitals, schools and other essential services.<\/p>\n
HURIWA recalled that President Tinubu had publicly promised Nigerians 24-hour electricity, declaring during his political campaign that he would not seek re-election if he failed to deliver on that commitment.<\/p>\n
The association therefore asked whether the President still considers that promise binding or whether it was merely another political declaration designed to secure electoral support.<\/p>\n
HURIWA also questioned why President Tinubu appears unconcerned about what it described as the persistent inconsistencies, questionable public explanations and apparent lack of proactive leadership in the Ministry of Power.<\/p>\n
Reacting to the recent explanation by the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, that electricity shortages were caused by scheduled maintenance at the Egbin Power Station and gas supply constraints affecting thermal power plants, HURIWA described the development as another disturbing illustration of the government’s failure to provide Nigerians with predictable and reliable electricity.<\/p>\n
The association noted that the minister’s promise to restore affected generating units within 48 to 72 hours does not address the fundamental question of why Nigeria’s electricity supply remains so vulnerable to recurring disruptions.<\/p>\n
HURIWA said Nigerians deserve a power sector managed through strategic planning, competent leadership, transparent investment and effective regulation, rather than repeated assurances that electricity would improve after every major disruption.<\/p>\n
The association further questioned the circumstances surrounding political appointments into such a critical economic sector, asking why technical competence, professional experience and demonstrable capacity should not constitute the overriding considerations in selecting those entrusted with managing the nation’s electricity industry.<\/p>\n
It asked President Tinubu whether political patronage, party loyalty and considerations of political affiliation have been allowed to overshadow merit in appointments to sensitive economic institutions.<\/p>\n
HURIWA insisted that the power sector is too important to be treated as a reward system for political loyalists or an avenue for accommodating persons based on ethnic, personal or political considerations.<\/p>\n
According to the association, Nigeria needs a proven electricity-sector technocrat with the requisite professional background, institutional experience and capacity to coordinate generation, transmission, distribution, gas supply and regulatory reforms.<\/p>\n
The association stressed that appointing a competent technocrat would not automatically resolve every structural problem in the sector, but it would demonstrate that the administration understands the technical complexity of electricity management and is prepared to place national interest above political considerations.<\/p>\n
HURIWA also questioned the apparent failure of the relevant anti-corruption institutions, particularly the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to establish effective accountability mechanisms around the enormous public resources committed to the electricity sector over the years.<\/p>\n
The association demanded a comprehensive and independent audit of power-sector expenditure, contracts, abandoned projects, transmission infrastructure and financial obligations to determine why successive administrations have committed substantial resources without delivering commensurate improvements in electricity supply.<\/p>\n
HURIWA noted that the minister’s announcement that 98 out of 300 containers of transmission equipment, reportedly stranded at the ports for nearly two decades, had been released raises further questions about institutional negligence, administrative inefficiency and the circumstances that allowed critical national infrastructure to remain trapped for so long.<\/p>\n
The association said the Federal Government must explain the ownership, procurement history, financial implications and responsibilities surrounding the equipment, rather than presenting its release as sufficient evidence of progress.<\/p>\n
HURIWA further condemned the situation in which electricity consumers continue to receive estimated or inflated bills despite enduring prolonged periods without adequate power supply.<\/p>\n
It called on the relevant regulatory authorities to protect consumers against arbitrary billing practices and ensure that electricity distribution companies are held accountable for the quality and quantity of electricity supplied to their customers.<\/p>\n
The association maintained that Nigerians cannot continue to shoulder the financial burden of an inefficient electricity system while public officials responsible for its management escape meaningful accountability.<\/p>\n
HURIWA therefore demands that President Tinubu:<\/p>\n
1. Publicly explain why his administration has failed to translate its 24-hour electricity campaign promise into a credible and measurable national power delivery programme.<\/p>\n
2. Conduct an urgent and independent performance assessment of the Ministry of Power and the leadership of relevant electricity-sector institutions.<\/p>\n
3. Demonstrate that appointments into the power sector are based on professional competence, technical expertise, integrity and proven performance rather than political patronage.<\/p>\n
4. Consider appointing a qualified and experienced electricity-sector technocrat capable of providing strategic leadership and coordinating a comprehensive reform of the industry.<\/p>\n
5. Order a transparent forensic audit of major power-sector expenditures, contracts, abandoned projects and outstanding liabilities.<\/p>\n
6. Establish measurable performance targets for electricity generation, transmission and distribution, with clearly defined timelines and consequences for persistent failure.<\/p>\n
7. Direct relevant regulatory agencies to protect electricity consumers from unjust billing, particularly in communities experiencing prolonged outages.<\/p>\n
HURIWA warned that the electricity crisis is not merely an inconvenience but a serious national development emergency that threatens employment, industrial productivity, educational advancement, healthcare delivery and the survival of small and medium-scale enterprises.<\/p>\n
The association said President Tinubu cannot continue to demand public confidence while millions of Nigerians struggle to power their homes and businesses.<\/p>\n
The fundamental question is simple: if efficient electricity supply was important enough to become a major campaign promise, why is it no longer important enough to attract the urgency, competence and political will required to deliver it?<\/p>\n
Nigeria deserves electricity, not endless explanations. The time has come for President Tinubu to demonstrate that his government is serious about ending the power sector crisis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By George Mgbeleke Demands explanation for failure to honour 24-hour electricity campaign promise; asks why merit and technical competence have been sacrificed for political patronage The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has challenged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to explain why his administration appears unwilling to confront the worsening electricity crisis in the country […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11875,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19612","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19612","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19612"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19612\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19613,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19612\/revisions\/19613"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11875"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19612"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19612"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19612"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}