Nigeria needs stable electricity, re-orientation to move forward —Ositelu

Until there is stable power supply and proper re-orientation of Nigerians, Nigeria may not attain meaningful progress.

This was the general concensus at the eighth Rufus Okikiola Ositelu Foundation (ROOF) 2019 colloquium in Lagos on April 13.

The Primate of The Church of the Lord Prayer Fellowship Worldwide (TCLPFW), His Eminence, Pope Rufus Ositelu, at the event, noted that no country could move forward without power.

Reacting on the fact that Ethiopia generated 3,625 megawatts of electricity with 4.8 billion US Dollars, while Nigeria had nothing to show for the 16 billion US Dollars it has expended on electricity generation, Ositelu further lamented the claim of the Ministry of Power to have generated 2,000 megawatts more and was expecting to generate 2,000 more in the next four years.

• Electricity for Nigerians

“What is 2,000 megawatts of electricity when other countries are generating billions?,” he queried.

According to the cleric, the people, who are supposed to generate electricity for Nigerians’ use are not interested, because “they are the brains behind the importation of generating set and they don’t want their business to collapse.”

He decried the level of poverty in the country and practice of federalism like other developed country.

While he stated that the parliamentary system of government was better and inexpensive than the presidential system in operation.

The theme of the colloquium: Nigeria, the world poverty capital amidst plethora of resources: The Panacea.

The primate siezed the event to charge Nigerians to be faithful in all ramifications.

The guest speaker, Professor Abayomi Adebayo of the Economics Department of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, observed China currently had 5.6 billion megawatts and USA, 4.2 billion megawatts of electricity, while Nigeria had just 5, 000 megawatts.

Adebayo urged the government to support the manufacturing and agriculture sectors the way it was supporting the banks, just as he advocated a proper Federal structure.

Professor Adebayo reiterated the need to cut down on government size and cost and re-orientate the citizenry.

He said Nigeria found itself in a mess, because she had the highest number of poor people in the world noting: “it is the sixth most miserable country in the world; has no dependable electricity supply; condition of potable water flow poor; real sectors in business are dead; bad leadership and high level of corruption.

Dignitaries at the event included, Superior Senior Evangelist Samson O. Banjo, who was chairman of the occasion; and Honourable Babatunde Sofola, Chairman, Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos State.