The\u00a0 situation\u00a0 within\u00a0 the\u00a0 Ministry\u00a0 of\u00a0 Power superintended by\u00a0 the
\nduo of\u00a0 Engineer Sale\u00a0 Mamman\u00a0 and\u00a0 Mr.\u00a0 Goddy\u00a0 Jedy-Agba\u00a0 in\u00a0 the\u00a0 last
\nfew\u00a0 weeks\u00a0 undoubtedly\u00a0 calls for concern.\u00a0 This\u00a0 unpleasant
\ndevelopment\u00a0 portends\u00a0 danger\u00a0 for\u00a0 every\u00a0 critical sector of\u00a0 the
\nNation\u00a0 if not immediately\u00a0 addressed\u00a0 and\u00a0 a\u00a0 solution\u00a0 proffered.\u00a0 The
\nNigerian\u00a0 energy\u00a0 sector,\u00a0 as\u00a0 over\u00a0 the\u00a0 years,\u00a0 has\u00a0 been\u00a0 plagued\u00a0 by
\nwidespread corrupt\u00a0 and\u00a0 illicit\u00a0 practices\u00a0 which\u00a0 has\u00a0 made
\nsuccessive\u00a0 government\u2019s interventions\u00a0 go\u00a0 noticed.\u00a0 And\u00a0 this is
\nnot about\u00a0 to change\u00a0 if\u00a0 urgent\u00a0 and\u00a0 critical measures are\u00a0 not taken
\nby\u00a0 the\u00a0 government of President\u00a0 Muhammadu\u00a0 Buhari.<\/p>\n
In\u00a0 what\u00a0 can\u00a0 best be described\u00a0 as brazen\u00a0 disregard\u00a0 for\u00a0 due
\nprocess and competence\u00a0 and\u00a0 an\u00a0 unwarranted\u00a0 display\u00a0 of\u00a0 power and
\npreeminence,\u00a0 Sale Mamman has personalized\u00a0 critical\u00a0 decisions within
\nthe\u00a0 Power\u00a0 Ministry\u00a0 and\u00a0 its Agencies,\u00a0 even\u00a0 to the\u00a0 detriment\u00a0 of
\nthe\u00a0 collective\u00a0 good\u00a0 of\u00a0 Nigerians,\u00a0 whose bidding\u00a0 he\u00a0 swore\u00a0 to\u00a0 do
\nat\u00a0 his inauguration\u00a0 as Minister\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Federal\u00a0 Republic.<\/p>\n
Sale\u00a0 Mamman\u2019s\u00a0 decision\u00a0 to \u201cindefinitely\u00a0 suspend\u201d the\u00a0 Managing
\nDirector\u00a0 of\u00a0 the Rural Electrification\u00a0 Agency\u00a0 (REA),\u00a0 Damilola
\nOgunbiyi,\u00a0 which\u00a0 has\u00a0 since\u00a0 been reversed\u00a0 by\u00a0 the\u00a0 President,
\nfurther\u00a0 lends credence to\u00a0 his\u00a0 high\u00a0 level\u00a0 shenaniganry. Damilola
\nOgunbiyi,\u00a0 from\u00a0 her\u00a0 time\u00a0 as\u00a0 Senior Special Adviser\u00a0 on\u00a0 Public
\nPrivate Partnership\u00a0 (PPP)\u00a0 to the\u00a0 Lagos State\u00a0 Governor\u00a0 and\u00a0 then as
\nGeneral\u00a0 Manager of Lagos State\u00a0 Electricity\u00a0 Board\u00a0 to being\u00a0 appointed
\nto oversee\u00a0 the\u00a0 REA,\u00a0 has displayed competence\u00a0 in\u00a0 her\u00a0 chosen
\ncareer path\u00a0 in\u00a0 the\u00a0 energy\u00a0 sector,\u00a0 which\u00a0 gave\u00a0 rise\u00a0 to her
\nappointment\u00a0 as Chief Executive\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 United\u00a0 Nations\u2019
\nSustainable\u00a0 Energy\u00a0 for All.<\/p>\n
Ogunbiyi\u2019s \u201csuspension\u201d,\u00a0 which\u00a0 came months after she\u00a0 tendered
\nher\u00a0 resignation to enable\u00a0 her\u00a0 proceed\u00a0 to her\u00a0 new\u00a0 role\u00a0 at\u00a0 the
\nUnited\u00a0 Nations,\u00a0 was\u00a0 greeted\u00a0 with widespread\u00a0 condemnation\u00a0 even
\nwithin\u00a0 the\u00a0 Rural Electrification\u00a0 Agency\u00a0 (REA)\u00a0 as staffs\u00a0 berated
\nthe\u00a0 Minister\u00a0 for \u201chating\u00a0 women\u201d.<\/p>\n
Nigeria\u2019s\u00a0 loss\u00a0 is the\u00a0 UN\u2019s gain.\u00a0 But\u00a0 for\u00a0 how\u00a0 long\u00a0 shall\u00a0 the
\ncountry\u00a0 continue\u00a0 to sacrifice\u00a0 competence\u00a0 and\u00a0 efficiency\u00a0 for
\nnepotism\u00a0 and\u00a0 undue preference?<\/p>\n
On the\u00a0 same day,\u00a0 in\u00a0 what\u00a0 was\u00a0 called\u00a0 \u201creorganization\/sanitation
\nin\u00a0 the\u00a0 Federal Ministry of Power\u201d,\u00a0 Sale\u00a0 Mamman,\u00a0 through\u00a0 his
\nineffectual\u00a0 mouthpiece\u00a0 Aaron Artimas,\u00a0 in\u00a0 a\u00a0 release\u00a0 had\u00a0 asked\u00a0 the
\nManaging\u00a0 Director of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Nigerian\u00a0 Bulk Electricity\u00a0 Trading
\nCompany\u00a0 (NBET),\u00a0 Marilyn\u00a0 Amobi\u00a0 to \u201cstep\u00a0 down\u00a0 and\u00a0 hand\u00a0 over to
\nthe\u00a0 most\u00a0 senior Director of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Organisation\u201d.\u00a0 This decision,
\naccording\u00a0 to sources within\u00a0 the\u00a0 Presidency,\u00a0 has\u00a0 also\u00a0 been
\nreversed\u00a0 by\u00a0 the\u00a0 President.<\/p>\n
It\u00a0 would\u00a0 be\u00a0 recalled\u00a0 that\u00a0 few\u00a0 weeks ago,\u00a0 the\u00a0 National\u00a0 Union\u00a0 of
\nElectricity Employees embarked\u00a0 on\u00a0 strike\u00a0 to protest\u00a0 what\u00a0 was
\nalleged\u00a0 as failure\u00a0 of\u00a0 the Minister of\u00a0 Power to\u00a0 implement\u00a0 their
\ndemands on\u00a0 the\u00a0 privatization\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Power Sector.<\/p>\n
In\u00a0 a\u00a0 memo\u00a0 dated\u00a0 November\u00a0 7 2019, and\u00a0 sent\u00a0 to\u00a0 the\u00a0 Minister,
\nNUEE\u00a0 had\u00a0 threatened to\u00a0 declare\u00a0 a\u00a0 nationwide\u00a0 strike\u00a0 if\u00a0 its
\ndemands\u00a0 were\u00a0 not\u00a0 met.\u00a0 It\u00a0 was\u00a0 in\u00a0 fact, stated\u00a0 in\u00a0 the\u00a0 memo\u00a0 that
\nprevious\u00a0 letters\u00a0 to\u00a0 the\u00a0 Minister\u00a0 since\u00a0 his\u00a0 assumption of\u00a0 duty
\nas\u00a0 Power\u00a0 Minister\u00a0 had\u00a0 gone\u00a0 unacknowledged.
\nHow does a\u00a0 Minister\u00a0 of\u00a0 Power\u00a0 show\u00a0 apathy\u00a0 for its workers and
\ntheir\u00a0 plights?<\/p>\n
But\u00a0 for\u00a0 the\u00a0 swift\u00a0 intervention\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Minister\u00a0 of\u00a0 State\u00a0 for
\nPower\u00a0 Mr.\u00a0 Goddy\u00a0 JedyAgba,\u00a0 who\u00a0 had first\u00a0 met\u00a0 with\u00a0 the
\nElectricity\u00a0 Workers\u2019\u00a0 Union\u00a0 weeks\u00a0 before\u00a0 they embarked\u00a0 on\u00a0 the
\nindustrial action\u00a0 that\u00a0 plunged\u00a0 the\u00a0 country\u00a0 into darkness for nearly
\n24\u00a0 hours,\u00a0 the\u00a0 situation\u00a0 would\u00a0 have\u00a0 further\u00a0 gone\u00a0 unattended\u00a0 and
\nthe Nation\u00a0 plunged\u00a0 into\u00a0 perpetual\u00a0 darkness.\u00a0 Nigeria\u00a0 has never had
\nit\u00a0 that\u00a0 perilous.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile,\u00a0 the\u00a0 tension\u00a0 that\u00a0 Mamman\u2019s\u00a0 inglorious decisions of
\neasing\u00a0 out\u00a0 the MDs of\u00a0 REA and\u00a0 NBET\u00a0 had\u00a0 yet\u00a0 to abate,\u00a0 when\u00a0 his
\nnepotistic\u00a0 mien\u00a0 came\u00a0 to the fore\u00a0 again.\u00a0 This time\u00a0 around,\u00a0 it\u00a0 was
\nthe\u00a0 appointment\u00a0 of\u00a0 two\u00a0 of\u00a0 his kinsmen\u00a0 as Directors\u00a0 into the
\nREA.<\/p>\n
Sale\u00a0 Mamman\u00a0 had\u00a0 given\u00a0 specific\u00a0 directives\u00a0 that\u00a0 the\u00a0 Directors\u00a0 be
\nin\u00a0 charge\u00a0 of Procurement\u00a0 and\u00a0 Funds within\u00a0 the\u00a0 REA.
\nThe\u00a0 Directors\u00a0 are\u00a0 Dr.\u00a0 Lawal Ibrahim\u00a0 (Funds)\u00a0 and\u00a0 Mr.\u00a0 Bulus
\nMaiyaki\u00a0 (Procurement). While\u00a0 Maiyaki\u00a0 was internally\u00a0 redeployed,
\nIbrahim\u00a0 was\u00a0 purportedly\u00a0 shipped\u00a0 in from\u00a0 outside.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0 manner\u00a0 of\u00a0 these autarchic\u00a0 appointments\u00a0 is what\u00a0 calls\u00a0 for
\nconcern.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0 Minister\u00a0 of\u00a0 State,\u00a0 Goddy\u00a0 Jedy-Agba\u00a0 has had\u00a0 no input\u00a0 in\u00a0 any
\nof\u00a0 these\u00a0 powercrazy\u00a0 displays.\u00a0 Even\u00a0 though,\u00a0 by\u00a0 the\u00a0 directive\u00a0 of
\nthe\u00a0 President,\u00a0 he\u00a0 supervises\u00a0 the REA.<\/p>\n
In\u00a0 a\u00a0 memo dated\u00a0 December\u00a0 27, 2019,\u00a0 Sale\u00a0 unilaterally\u00a0 made\u00a0 the
\npostings.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u00a0 wish\u00a0 to inform\u00a0 you\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 deployment\u00a0 of the\u00a0 following
\nofficers from\u00a0 their present\u00a0 position\u00a0 as follows:\u00a0 \u00a0Dr.\u00a0 Lawal
\nIbrahim\u00a0 (Director,\u00a0 Funds);\u00a0 Bulus\u00a0 Maiyaki (Procurement);\u00a0 Demas\u00a0 Y.
\nDideno\u00a0 (Deputy\u00a0 Director of Procurement\u00a0 now\u00a0 Deputy Director,
\nPlanning,\u00a0 Research\u00a0 and\u00a0 Development);\u00a0 Adeyemi\u00a0 Moses\u00a0 Adelekan
\n(Assistant\u00a0 Director,\u00a0 Procurement\u00a0 to Assistant\u00a0 Director,\u00a0 Planning,
\nResearch\u00a0 and Development);\u00a0 Engr.\u00a0 Magaji\u00a0 D.\u00a0 Bala\u00a0 (Assistant
\nDirector,\u00a0 North-West\u00a0 to Assistant Director,\u00a0 Procurement);\u00a0 and\u00a0 Engr.
\nTurba Gabriel\u00a0 Dangula,\u00a0 Assistant\u00a0 Director, Projects\u00a0 to Assistant
\nDirector,\u00a0 North-West)\u201d.<\/p>\n
Some\u00a0 persons within\u00a0 the\u00a0 Agency,\u00a0 who prefer anonymity,\u00a0 described
\nthe appointment\u00a0 as\u00a0 \u201cstrange\u00a0 and\u00a0 bizarre\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u00a0 is strange\u00a0 and\u00a0 bizarre\u00a0 for a\u00a0 Minister\u00a0 of\u00a0 Power\u00a0 to
\ninterfere\u00a0 directly\u00a0 in\u00a0 the\u00a0 affairs of\u00a0 REA by\u00a0 dictating\u00a0 who should
\nbe\u00a0 in\u00a0 charge\u00a0 of\u00a0 what\u00a0 units.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis\u00a0 is the\u00a0 first\u00a0 time\u00a0 we\u00a0 are\u00a0 experiencing\u00a0 this kind\u00a0 of
\ninterference. It\u00a0 is more curious that\u00a0 the\u00a0 Minister\u00a0 is\u00a0 more
\ninterested\u00a0 in\u00a0 the\u00a0 units on\u00a0 Procurement\u00a0 and Funds.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy\u00a0 we\u00a0 are\u00a0 disturbed\u00a0 is that\u00a0 the\u00a0 Minister of\u00a0 State\u00a0 for
\nPower,\u00a0 Mr\u00a0 Goddy\u00a0 JedyAgba\u00a0 is in\u00a0 charge\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Agency\u00a0 but\u00a0 he
\nwas\u00a0 not in\u00a0 the\u00a0 picture\u00a0 of\u00a0 these\u00a0 postings done\u00a0 by\u00a0 Engr.\u00a0 Sale.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sale\u00a0 Mamman\u00a0 must\u00a0 be\u00a0 called\u00a0 to order and\u00a0 be made\u00a0 to\u00a0 uphold\u00a0 the
\ntenets of\u00a0 the memo containing\u00a0 the\u00a0 directive\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 President,
\nconveyed\u00a0 by\u00a0 the\u00a0 Secretary\u00a0 to the Government\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Federation,
\nBoss Mustapha\u00a0 which\u00a0 spelt\u00a0 out\u00a0 the\u00a0 duties of\u00a0 the Minister\u00a0 and\u00a0 his
\nMinister\u00a0 of\u00a0 State.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0 memo by\u00a0 the\u00a0 SGF\u00a0 had\u00a0 on\u00a0 October 18,\u00a0 2019\u00a0 stated\u00a0 that\u00a0 REA is
\nto be supervised\u00a0 by\u00a0 the\u00a0 Minister\u00a0 of\u00a0 State\u00a0 for\u00a0 Power.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u00a0 write\u00a0 to\u00a0 formally\u00a0 inform\u00a0 you\u00a0 that\u00a0 President\u00a0 Muhammadu
\nBuhari\u00a0 has\u00a0 approved the\u00a0 schedule of\u00a0 duties\u00a0 for\u00a0 Ministers\u00a0 and
\nMinisters\u00a0 of\u00a0 State\u00a0 to\u00a0 facilitate\u00a0 effective\u00a0 delivery\u00a0 of\u00a0 their
\nMinisterial mandates\u00a0 based\u00a0 on\u00a0 government\u00a0 priorities. \u201dThe
\nMinister\u00a0 of\u00a0 State\u00a0 shall\u00a0 assist\u00a0 in\u00a0 the\u00a0 formulation\u00a0 and
\nimplementation\u00a0 of\u00a0 policies\u00a0 within\u00a0 his scheduled areas\u00a0 in\u00a0 a\u00a0 manner
\nthat\u00a0 supports\u00a0 the\u00a0 realization\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 mandate\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Ministry.
\n\u201cThe\u00a0 Minister\u00a0 of\u00a0 State\u00a0 shall\u00a0 be\u00a0 responsible\u00a0 for the\u00a0 following
\nprogrammes\u00a0 activities\u00a0 of\u00a0 the ministry:\u00a0 Rural\u00a0 Electrification
\nProgrammes\u00a0 and\u00a0 Training\u00a0 and\u00a0 capacity\u00a0 development.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cThe
\nMinister\u00a0 of\u00a0 State\u00a0 shall\u00a0 oversee\u00a0 the\u00a0 following\u00a0 parastatals:\u00a0 Rural
\nElectrification\u00a0 Agency (REA);\u00a0 National\u00a0 Power\u00a0 Training\u00a0 Institute
\nof\u00a0 Nigeria\u00a0 (NAPTIN)\u00a0 and\u00a0 Nigeria\u00a0 Electricity Management\u00a0 Services
\nAgency\u00a0 (NEMSA).\u201d<\/p>\n
By\u00a0 these\u00a0 breaches,\u00a0 the\u00a0 Minister\u00a0 of\u00a0 Power,\u00a0 Engr.\u00a0 Sale\u00a0 Mamman
\nmay\u00a0 be\u00a0 guilty\u00a0 of the\u00a0 infractions he\u00a0 accused\u00a0 the\u00a0 former MD of REA
\nof. I\u00a0 urge\u00a0 the\u00a0 President\u2019s\u00a0 intervention,\u00a0 like\u00a0 the\u00a0 reversal of
\nDamilola\u00a0 Ogunbiyi\u2019s \u201cindefinite\u00a0 suspension\u201d.<\/p>\n
Francis Adeleye Adebowale
\nLagos, Nigeria.<\/p>\n