The World Bank and other international partners are worried that Nigeria’s power reform programme may collapse, following last week’s sudden exit of Minister Barth Nnaji. Prof. Nnaji was forced to quit as a result of his alleged conflict of interest in the ongoing privatisation of the successor companies to the dissolved Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).
President Goodluck Jonathan said in Onitsha last Thursday that Nnaji “is a seasoned professional” who is “very competent” and who has “not committed any offence”, but he had to go because he had interests in the ongoing privatisation.
At the weekend, officials of the World Bank, the United Nations International Development Organisation (UNIDO), the European Union (EU) and others met with Minister of State for Power Mr. Darius Ishaku to express their worry about the government’s power programme.
The UNIDO Country Representative, Dr. Patrick Kormawa, who led others to the ministry, said: UNIDO has been working in concert with other agencies for rural electrification in the country, especially in the renewable energy sector.
The EU Head of Cooperation, Mr. P. Philippe, said “when Brussels (the EU headquarters), got the news, it was alarmed and feared for the continuity of the reforms in the sector,” said.
The UNIDO Country Representative added: “We have no choice than to continue our support even though we were disappointed at the recent event.”
The partners also sought to know how far the privatisation process had gone and whether Nigeria was still committed to the timeline. The World Bank representative, Mr. Erik Feinstiom said he was at the last power summit in Asaba, the Delta State capital, which was presided over by Prof. Nnaji, and were not left in any doubt about the former minister’s focus, passion and direction.
A statement by a power ministry official Mr. Greyne Anosike, quoted another member of the delegation as saying allowing Prof. Nnaji to go the way he did, is certainly a setback adding that the issue was wrongly handled.
The statement added that Minister of state for Ishaku assured the development partners that the power reform programme was on course.
Ishaku said: “we are part of the immense institutions Prof Bart Nnaji had made and the structures he put on place. He took us along all the way.
“I want to assure you and reassure you that this government will continue to build on and nurture all the institutions he had put in place”.
“Privatisation is ongoing with all the timelines. Continue to give us all your usual maximum support as we have no choice but to continue from where he stopped”.
On the discussion with labour officials, the Minister said: “we have moved beyond the Nigerian Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Ministry of Power and Ministry of Labour level right now. The matter is being handled at the highest level with the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation working at resolving the remaining one or two issues.
“The Federal Government cannot break its own laws but would continue to bend backwards as it has continued to do in the past, to the workers in the sector. The focus now is the 100 days mandate. Advise us, give us assistance, nothing will change” Ishaku assured the delegation.
At the meeting were representatives of DFID, JICA, AFD, EU, World Bank AFDB, GIT, UNIDO, UNDP, USAID, among others.
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