The Minister of Power, Engr. Sale Mamman, has called on Nigerians to assume ownership of the various electricity installations in their respective communities, to guard against sabotage, vandalisation and natural disasters like erosion and bush burning.
He said they should take responsibility for protecting the public utilities as the best guarantee of ensuring steady and uninterrupted electricity supply to their areas.
“The people should raise alarm and report to security officials whenever they see people tampering with power equipment”.
The Minister spoke while receiving the Paramount Ruler of Ipetu-ijesa Kingdom of Osun Sate, Oba Samson Adeleke Agunbiade Oke who was on a thank you visit to the Ministry of Power.
Engr. Sale Mamman stated that it was the desire of the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari to supply electricity to every community in Nigeria, but that the efforts was being constrained by the sabotage and willful damage to electricity installations across the country.
The Minister said he was greatly pained by the recent destruction of the power tower supplying electricity to Maiduguri, which was recently restored by the Transmission Company of Nigeria.
He added “this act of desperate and wicked damage of public utilities should not be a justifiable means for any agitation”.
Engr. Sale Mamman advised the Ipetu-ijesha Kingdom to provide adequate security protection for the newly restored equipment to guard against future destructions.
Describing power as critical to National development, Engr. Sale Mamman said the Ministry of Power would continue to work harder to improve and sustain the current success recorded in the Power sector under President Muhammadu Buhari.
Earlier, the Paramount Ruler of Ipetu-Ayesha Kingdom, Oba Samson Adeleke Agunbiade III explained that his people had endured many years of hardship following the damage of their electrical equipment.
However, following a letter of complaint to the Honourable Minister of Power, the Ministry moved swiftly to install seven (7) new transformers and transmission lines to restore power to the entire Kingdom.
Oba Agunbiade who described his Kingdom as the largest in Osun State expressed appreciation to the Ministry of Power and the Federal Government for “this unprecedented intervention”.
“We see this as part of the Federal Government’s efforts to make life better for citizens” he added.
