By Uche Amunike
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has questioned the constant collapse of the country’s power grid that results in nationwide blackouts.
In a statement released by the association yesterday, they described the constant blackouts as unacceptable and called for immediate action to address the systematic issues that continuously plague the power infrastructure of the country.
The statement partly read: ‘In a shocking recurrence, the national power grid in Nigeria suffered a complete collapse, registering zero megawatts on Sunday at 1 pm, plunging the entire nation into darkness. This marks the first grid collapse of the year, continuing the trend of recurring failure in the power sector.’
‘The power generation data obtained from the Ministry of Power revealed a significant drop from 2,407MW at 11:53 a.m. to 31MW by noon, ultimately collapsing to zero an hour later. The widespread blackout affected various regions, with Kaduna Disco confirming power loss in Kaduna, Sokoto, Zamfara, and Kebbi states.’
‘This grid collapse is not an isolated incident, as the country witnessed a similar crisis in December 2023, when power generation plummeted from 4,032.8MW to 43.5MW, and twice in September the same year. While the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) managed to restore the system on that occasion, the frequency of such collapses raises serious concerns about the reliability of the national grid’, HURIWA stated.
The association also worried about the frequent grid collapses, which they believe could mean that there is internal sabotage within the government, or that the funds allocated for sector development was being with mismanaged by those concerned.
As a result of these concerns, they have called for an independent forensic financial audit of the electricity sector, to enable them find out the truth behind the continuous power failures, maintaining that the forensic audit ought to be carried out urgently because of the declaration by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), of the former Minister of Power and Steel, as wanted, over an alleged $6billion dollar fraud. They maintained that the declaration adds to the list of corruption allegations in the power sector, where funds that are meant for critical projects like the Mambilla Hydropower Project have been allegedly misappropriated.
The human rights group further questioned how effective the EFCC and other anti-corruption agencies are, in addressing systematic corruption in the power sector. Hear them: ‘In December 2023, the EFCC declared former Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye, who served under Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, wanted for alleged fraud amounting to $6 billion. The funds were intended for the construction of the Mambilla Hydropower Project. Agunloye, who held the ministerial position between 1999 and 2003, had previously been invited and questioned by the anti-graft agency.’
‘Even prior to Agunloye’s situation, various individuals have been implicated in massive misappropriation of funds meant to address the electricity sector’s challenges. It appears that the EFCC is merely engaging in media dramatisation rather than achieving tangible results. This pattern extends not only to the current chairman but also to successive leaders of the EFCC. The question arises: why has the EFCC been unable to effectively address the rampant theft of billions of dollars that government officials claim to have invested in the electricity sector?’
