Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola has called on Nigerians not to take any excuses from the federal government over its inability to provide stable electricity, noting that with the country’s oil and gas wealth, power should not have been a big issue.
“Nigeria is the only country with oil and gas that is without steady electricity,” Fashola said, stressing that countries like Gabon, Ghana which also have oil and gas in Africa do not have electricity problem just as the whole of Europe depends on Russia for her gas supplies but had never experienced electricity difficulties.
The governor, who spoke at the formal commissioning of the 8.8 Megawatts Mainland Independent Power Project that will supply constant power supply to both Federal and state government establishments, said Lagos only needs legislative backing to be able to provide stable power supply to its residents.
He said the successful completion of the IPP was a demonstration of the commitment of the present government in the state to standing by its words.
The Power plant was built through a Public Private Partnership between the Lagos State Government and a consortium of Mainland Power Limited, CET Power and Solad Electric Limited, and it will serve agencies like the Lagos State Electricity Board, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Lagos State University College of Medicine, Area F Police Command, the High Court, the Office of the Chief Judge, the Code of Conduct Bureau, the State Water Corporation, the Old Secretariat complex, the State Ministry of Housing Estate and Eko Engineering Limited.
It will also power street lights covering a stretch of 20 kilometres from the Old Secretariat, the Ikeja Flyover, Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Agege Motor Road, Ikorodu Road, Jibowu to Maryland, Palm Avenue in Mushin and Ikeja GRA.
Fashola said what Lagos State government has done so far was within the limits allowed states and it has through it demonstrated that steady power supply is deliverable to the people.
“If tomorrow, the National Assembly legislates that states should generate and distribute power, a state like Lagos will conveniently generate its own electricity and distribute same to its residents,” Fashola said.
The governor also said that while the government will continue doing its best to provide stable power supply, “Nigerians as a people must also agree on the fact that there is a need to conserve energy because it is practically impossible to have unfinished energy.”
