The last has not been heard about the sack of the Managing Directors of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company (NBET), as new revelation emerged on what led to their dismissal.
As far as, the Special Assistant to the Minister of Power, Aaron Artimas, is concerned, former bosses of REA, NBET, Damilola Ogunbiyi and Marilyn Amobi respectively, were members of a cabal accused of infractions but ‘untouchable’. he alleged that they were part of a group of people sabotaged the power sector.
According to the Federal Government, Ogunbiyi and Amobi had resisted the reorganisation of the sector by the Minister of power.
In a statement issued by Artimas, he alleged that they were holding the ministry by the jugular, as they released publication that claimed the ministry was failing under the minister.
“They were “denying Nigerians the full value of their huge investments in the power sector. As early as November last year, this cabal began to sponsor insidious reports using some faceless groups in Lagos, claiming that ‘the Ministry of Power was failing under the new minister.
“It is the same ‘untouchables’ who want to perpetuate themselves in power that are now resisting any form of reorganisation meant to reposition the ministry for optimum performance,” it stated in Punch.
[READ MORE: Ewelukwa replaces Amobi as NBET boss)
The Ministry had previously claimed that, “Many Nigerians are not unaware of the squabbling and unfortunate infighting affecting the two agencies as well as other alleged infractions.
“This obviously affected their performance in impacting the entire industry. No responsible leadership will tolerate such chaotic situation and expect success on the ultimate goal of improving power in the country.”
There’s more to the story: Obviously, there is no love lost between the parties. While Ogunbiyi and Amobi haven’t reacted to their dismissal, the Ministry has been of the defensive, claiming through the statement that they resisted change which was for the benefit of the power sector and they had underperformed.
So according to the statement, “The ministry should not be tied down by individuals whose only concern is the retention of power at the expense of service delivery.”
However, it was not long after Ogunbiyi was suspended that she was announced as the special representative for Sustainable Energy for All and Co-Chair of United Nations-Energy.
Her immediate appointment punctures the claim of the Ministry of Power. Why was she appointed by the UN if such allegations were hanging above her? Also, if she and Amobi were involved in spreading false statements, why were they not prosecuted since President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is vocal against fake news.
[READ ALSO: GenCos to shut down over NBET’s administrative charge)
It remains to be seen if the actions of Mamman are for the good of Nigerians and the power sector because Ogunbiyi becomes a prophet without honour in her country but valued by a global body.