News

Hope Amaechi Didn’t Mean It …That Remark At Ministerial Hearing

Published

11 years ago

November 2, 2015

There are times in a man’s life when he chooses to tell his spouse what she would like to hear, when a parent would tell a ward what he or she would like to hear, an interviewee, what the interviewer would like to hear and an ambitious politician what his would-be helper would like to hear.
Such half-truths are kinder lies designed to sustain a relationship, earn temporary approval and sometimes ensure followership. This is why ambitious politicians would say different things at different fora to different people, depending on what their audience’s immediate yearings are.
For a Presidential hopeful seeking votes of the Niger Delta, he must attempt to strike the chord by whipping up the sentiment, of the level of environmental degradation the area has suffered on account of years of oil production activities with their attendant pollution of the once arable farmlands, rich rivers and swamps.
He must raise their hopes on issues such as comprehensive environmental clean-up, review of the 13 per cent derivation system and promise to declare emergency in the Health and Education Sectors to make-up for the years of neglect, and lay a foundation for young ones.
Some would even promise that the Amnesty programme, pronounced by the Late Yar’Adua Presidency after resource control agitations following years of protest and ample threat to national earnings through oil and gas, would be sustained beyond 2015. Or even promise improved federal allocation to the Niger Delta Ministry, build factories to create jobs and above all give special attention to the welfare of the girl-child.
Such attention to the girl-child is indeed necessary because she was indeed one of the primary victims of oil prospection and production activities in the Niger Delta. When the oil companies arrived the oil bearing communities, they met total darkness, hunger, lack of pipe borne water, abject poverty and backwardness. At nights, the only light the locals saw was that on the house boats of the oil workers.
With their fat salaries, the oil workers lured the young girls out of schools into early prostitution and out of their homes. Some were put in the family way, leaving their parents with the false hope that their fluctuating fortunes would be addressed in a permanent manner.
But once the project of that set is completed, the oil workers would sneak out of the community as secretly as they came, after forcing the girl-child out of schools, and sometimes putting them in a family way.
In like manner, marriages were broken, community conflicts invented to divide and rule the people and most importantly, had disrupted, the people’s main occupations and sources of livelihood, fishing and farming.
On near frequent basis, wastes from their production are discharged into the rivers, lands and swamps thus endangering sea foods, arable lands and indeed fishes in the river, not to talk of gas flaring which became a major health concern for the people.
In spite of all these, for more than fifty years after Nigeria discovered oil in large quantity in Oloibiri, today’s Bayelsa State, the people did not benefit directly from activities of oil companies. Often guided by very well-armed security men, the oil companies’ loyalty was to the Federal Government and their owners with little or no consideration for the oil bearing host communities.
Without relevant skills, thus unemployable, the youth who had thus been denied sources of livelihood became agitated and vented their anger first on their political leaders. It was such internal strife that culminated in the demand for a derivation policy, by the people’s representatives.
Men like Chief Melford Okilo and Ken Sarowiwa, among many others were unrelenting in their protest against environmental hazards, health risks and indeed endemic poverty which oil-bearing communities suffered.
Under the Second Republic, followed by successive Military regimes, the derivation which was eventually granted fluctuated, sometimes meaninglessly, the lowest being 1.5 per cent under General Muhammadu Buhari as Head of State, before rising to the 13 per cent enjoyed today. This is in spite of the fact that in the days of the groundnut pyramids, cocoa, palm oil among others, the then three major zones of North, South-West and South-East enjoyed derivation benefits of between 50 per cent and 100 per cent.
In the last National Conference, convoked by the Jonathan Presidency, conferees agreed on an upward review of the derivation formula in view of the years of denial, environment degration, remediation needs, investments in education and, health care and above all, empower the youth.
That conference report is yet to see the light of day and there are no signs that it will, since the now ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had boycotted it after many of its members had clamoured for such conference for many years. Even so, notable Nigerians have continued to call on President Muhammadu Buhari to implement the Conference report, because in their view, it held the answer to the long-desired peaceful co-existence, devolution of power, economic growth, socio-political integration and indeed national cohesion, unity and progress.
Most of these were what then APC candidate Buhari promised with extra attention to security, war on corruption and economic prosperity. The Director-General of the Buhari campaign was the then Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi who also defended his opposition to a Jonathan Presidency, on grounds that his state and indeed the states of the oil producing Niger Delta were worse for it.
Another key grouse of the Governor against President Jonathan’s re-election was his claim that oil-wells belonging to Rivers State were annexed to Bayelsa, and thus denied his state derivation rewards that would have been enjoyed.
Amaechi repeatedly defended the interest of the Niger Delta and relentlessly agitated for an upward review of the derivation system to help in re-building the thoroughly destroyed occupations and environment of the people.
But when former Governor Amaechi appeared before the Senate, for a confirmation hearing for a ministerial position, his reaction to one of the questions posed to him should have shocked many, considering his antecedents and advocacy for improved derivation , while as governor.
Amaechi was asked: When you were governor, you and your Niger Delta colleagues repeatedly clamoured for more federal allocation, but each time we asked you to account for it, it’s trouble. You enjoy derivation, you have Niger Delta Ministry.
Now, you are going to be a federal minister, if you are confirmed, would you still clamour for more derivation for the oil bearing states, considering that some states get far less?
Astonishingly, Amaechi said, “that was before we went to Germany. Now my disposition has changed.” According to the former governor, the state of Germany does not have the kind of mineral resources Nigeria has but the people are doing well. So no need for extra attention to oil bearing states.
According to him, “After the grants to states by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, any states with less than N5 billion, should be bailed out by other states with higher grants. That’s the right thing to do.”
What Amaechi’s view amounted to was that many Northern states depend solely on monthly federal allocations without extra efforts towards improving their internally generated revenue and since oil bearing states enjoy marginal reward from the paltry 13 per cent derivation, they should contribute part to states that earn less than 5 billion naira. I hope Amaechi did not mean it.
Hope he was merely telling the Northern Senator, what he wanted to hear in answer to that question. Hope Amaechi did not mean it, otherwise it would be suicidal for oil bearing states in the South-South and South-East, where, unfortunately President Buhari scored the least number of votes in the last Presidential elections.
There are also speculations that, if finally sworn-in as Minister of the Federal Republic by President Buhari, Amaechi might be assigned the Niger Delta Ministry, meaning, the development of the area would be entrusted to him.
Would he run his Ministry with funds deducted from the Niger Delta states to his ministry or agitate for improved funding independently?
That is why I hope that Amaechi might have just told that Senator, what he and some of his Northern colleagues would like to hear. If so, Amaechi need to reassure his constituency that he is not one to sacrifice everything, including the welfare of his people, to sustain personal ambition.
From his nomination as Minster to his screening up to his eventual clearance, the amount of controversy generated by Amaechi’s choice was most divisive rather than uniting. That is why Amaechi must take deliberate steps to heal wounds and unite the peoples, if he hopes to succeed as a minster.
Most importantly, he must discard his new view, after the trip to Germany, and champion the course of the oil bearing states in their struggle for a better welfare for their people. Anything else will be most unpopular, ungratifying and utterly selfish.
My agony is: those whose personal ambition transcend their states, often adopt the policy: “Charity begins abroad.” And with such mindset, can lavish billions on foreigners and their needs, not minding whether or not workers and pensioners are owed three months and five months respectively. Let this not be our plight.
That is why I hope and pray that Amaechi didn’t mean what he said.

News

FG Spends N10tn On Power Since Privatisation

Published

2 days ago

November 13, 2026

The Tide

The Federal Government says it has invested more than N10tn in Nigeria’s electricity sector since its privatisation in 2013, but the intervention has yet to deliver the reliable power supply expected from the reform.

The Managing Director of FGN Power Company Limited, Kenny Anuwe, disclosed this yesterday at the sixth annual conference of the Power Correspondents Association of Nigeria, in Abuja.

The conference afforded stakeholders to examine the country’s roadmap to reliable and affordable electricity under the Federal Government’s ambition to grow the economy to $1tn by 2030.

Anuwe said the huge government spending has kept the industry afloat but stressed that public funding alone could not address the country’s electricity challenges, calling for increased private sector participation and alternative financing models to accelerate infrastructure development.

The conference was themed, “$1trn Economy: Nigeria’s Roadmap to Reliable and Affordable Power Supply.”

The disclosure raises fresh questions about the outcome of the 2013 power sector privatisation, which transferred the country’s 11 distribution companies and six generation companies to private investors, while the Federal Government retained ownership of the transmission network.

Despite successive government interventions, electricity supply has remained unstable, with inadequate generation, gas shortages, weak transmission and distribution infrastructure, mounting sector debts and poor investment continuing to undermine the industry.

Anuwe acknowledged that government funding had been significant but insufficient to meet the sector’s ambitions.

“Government has invested over N10tn in the electricity sector since the advent of privatisation. But is it enough? How much money is enough? If government didn’t invest that money, the industry would not be standing today.

“No matter how you look at it, no matter how critical you are about what government’s role is, if government did not put that money in, the industry would not be standing,” he said.

He, however, described the continued dependence on government funding as unsustainable, noting that the Federal Government was responsible for more than 95 per cent of new infrastructure investment in the sector.

“That’s not why we privatised. We have all kinds of excuses why that has happened. And a lot of them are legitimate. But it’s time for us to move from excuses to saying how do we fix it. It does not need the government to do everything. I believe that government cannot do everything,” Anuwe said.

He said the country needed simpler investment structures, predictable regulations, clear institutional responsibilities and commercially viable projects to attract private capital.

According to him, the FGN Power Company is targeting an investment structure that could attract 1bn, with the Africa Finance Corporation expected to match the amount.

He disclosed that the company’s ongoing Presidential Power Initiative projects were expected to deliver additional transmission capacity, with a target of 5,540 megawatts by 2029 and at least 60 per cent improvement in grid reliability.

The projects include a second batch of 12 Siemens substations and special projects involving Omotosho substations, which are expected to cumulatively deliver nearly 3,400MW.

Anuwe said most of the ongoing first-phase transmission substation and line projects were now expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2027, following delays.

He added that the company had secured financing for its pilot phase and was working with international technical and financial partners, including Siemens Energy, China Machinery Engineering Corporation and TBEA.

The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, in his address, said the Federal Government had also developed a four-pronged roadmap to address the sector’s challenges through grid stabilisation, sector liquidity and sustainability, asset optimisation and expansion and enhancement of the national grid.

He said the government had raised N1.23tn under its N3.3tn plan to settle verified legacy debts owed to electricity generation companies.

According to him, more than 2.8 million electricity customers have been metered under the Presidential Metering Initiative, while additional transmission capacity exceeding 15,000 megavolt-amperes had been added to the national grid between 2023 and October 2026.

“Let me inform this gathering that we have developed a four-pronged roadmap to address
the power sector challenges comprehensively. These are Grid Stabilisation, Sector Liquidity
and Sustainability, Asset Optimisation, and Expansion and Enhancement of the grid. Central
to this plan is a corridor approach that prioritises major load centres for reliable, round-
the-clock electricity supply.

“A technical audit has been commissioned to establish a robust diagnostic baseline, identify critical constraints and guide the prioritisation, sequencing and
execution of interventions. The corridor approach gives this roadmap a practical industrial focus.

“In the past two months alone, I have commissioned newly installed substation equipment across Kumbotoso, Dankata, Mashi, Dan-Agundi, Apapa, Ijora, Ikeja, Biliri, Walalambe and other locations, adding over 1,300MVA to Nigeria’s transmission capacity. This has unlocked more power to the respective Distribution Companies for onward distribution to industrial and household customers,” Tegbe said.

He added that the government was adopting a corridor-based approach to improve electricity supply in major economic centres, beginning with the Lagos-Ogun axis and Abuja franchise area, which together account for more than 50 per cent of national electricity demand.

The minister said the proposed 24-hour electricity zones would align generation, transmission and distribution capacity with demand in industrial clusters, subject to technical readiness and commercial viability.

He also identified vandalism as a major threat to electricity infrastructure, disclosing that President Bola Tinubu had approved a coordinated anti-vandalism campaign involving security agencies.

Earlier, the Chairman of PCAN, Obas Esiedesa, said reliable and affordable electricity was indispensable to the country’s ambition of building a $1tn economy by 2030.

He urged stakeholders to move beyond identifying the industry’s problems and focus on practical solutions, particularly investment, infrastructure development and sustainable financing.

News

Fubara: Why We Engage Only Qualified Engineers, Indigenous Contractors On Projects …As Governor Bags NATE Platinum Award, Inducted Into Highest Membership Cadre

Published

2 days ago

November 13, 2026

The Tide

Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has stated that his administration engages indigenous contractors, qualified engineers and technologists in road and housing projects to ensure the delivery of standard and quality projects in the State.

Governor Fubara stated this yesterday while declaring open the 42nd Conference of Technologists in Engineering ( CONFOTECH) and Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Association of Technologists in Engineering, (NATE), in Port Harcourt.

The conference saw the association conferring its Platinum Award on Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his induction into the highest membership cadre of NATE in recognition of his massive infrastructural development across Rivers State.

Governor Fubara, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Sunny Ewule, expressed the readiness of his administration to the continued partnership and support for professional associations in promoting professionalism, building capacity and driving technological advancement.

He thanked the leadership and the entire membership of NATE for finding him worthy of their most prestigious award and honour, the NATE Platinum Award, and the accompanying induction into the highest membership cadre of the association.

“I consider this award not as a personal achievement but as a recognition of the collective effort of my administration and the good people of Rivers State in the area of infrastructure development and the deployment of engineering and technological solutions to advance the socio-economic development of the state, he said.

Governor Fubara noted that the theme of the conference: Safety, Regulation and Enforcement in Engineering: A Panacea to Industrial and Technological Growth in Nigeria, could not be more timely and relevant.

According to Fubara, no meaningful industrial growth can take place without safety, strong regulation, and enforcement, adding that it is for that reason that his administration has continued to insist on standard, quality delivery, and the engagement of qualified engineers, technologists and indigenous contractors in road construction, housing and other major developments across the state.

In his welcome address, the National President of the Nigerian Association of Technologists in Engineering (NATE), Engr. Dominic Udoatan, said the conference underscores a fundamental truth that safety, effective regulation and strict enforcement are indispensable to sustainable industrial and technological growth.

He urged government, regulatory bodies, employers and professional associations to work together to ensure competence, accountability and the protection of lives and property, while expressing the association’s sincere appreciation to Governor Fubara’s administration for its recognition of the importance of infrastructure, technical competence and technological advancement.

News

IGP Warns Police Officers Against Partisanship …Directs Regular Engagement With Journalists

Published

2 days ago

November 13, 2026

The Tide

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has warned officers of the Nigeria Police Force against engaging in partisan political activities, insisting that the Force would remain neutral before, during and after the 2027 general elections.

The IGP gave the directive during a strategic meeting with senior police officers, including Deputy Inspectors-General of Police, Assistant Inspectors- General of Police and Commissioners of Police, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, last Wednesday.

He told the officers across the country to maintain regular interactions with journalists as part of efforts to tackle misinformation and fake news ahead of the elections.

He said sustained engagement with the media would strengthen public communication, promote transparency and help curb the spread of misleading information capable of undermining public confidence in the electoral process.

Disu assured that the Nigeria Police Force would not allow itself to be used by politicians or political parties, saying the Force remains committed to providing a level playing field for all participants in the electoral process.

“We will remain neutral, ensure the safety and security of the electorate before, during and after the election,” he said.

The Police Chief warned that any police officer found participating in partisan politics would face appropriate disciplinary and legal consequences.

On the protection of citizens’ rights, the IGP charged Commissioners of Police to ensure that all reported cases of human rights violations are properly documented, investigated and resolved within a reasonable period.

He also directed police commands and zones across the country to establish accessible and visible Complaints Response Units to enable members of the public report alleged abuses and obtain appropriate redress.

Disu emphasized the need to improve the welfare of police personnel, directing Commissioners of Police to ensure prompt payment of death benefits to families of fallen officers and personally visit such families to demonstrate the Force’s support and solidarity.

He highlighted some of the achievements recorded by the Force but maintained that more efforts were required to address prevailing security challenges, particularly banditry in parts of the country.

He also cautioned Commissioners of Police against travelling outside their respective states without obtaining express approval from his office.

The IGP thanked President Bola Tinubu for his continued support and commitment to strengthening the capacity of the police to combat crime and maintain national security.

King Onunwor