Ministers’ Sack: Despite Over N246b Allocation, Website Shows Ministry Of Power Had Done Nothing Since February 2020

An investigation conducted on the website of the Federal Ministry of Power has given an indication into why Sale Mamman was sacked as Minister of Power on Wednesday by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The website of the ministry had been inactive since 2016, a development an ICT expert explained as indicating that the ministry had not carried out any major activity since then.

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Yet, since 2020 when President Muhammadu Buhari approved the separation of the Ministry of Power  from the Ministry of Works and Housing, the Federal Government has allocated a total of N246,962,111,825 to it.  

Capital allocation to the Ministry was N129.08 billion for 2020 and N117, 882, 111, 825b for 2021.

This is in addition to the joint budget of N394.9062 billion allocated to the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing in 2019.

But despite the humongous allocation to the Ministry, power generation has not exceeded 5,000 megawatts of electricity since 2016.

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In fact, data obtained from the Independent System Operator, ISO, showed that the peak generation in April this year was around 4,700MW.

This may explain why there has not been any activities on the website since when it published its latest press release dated March 2020.

For instance, the home page of the ministry’s website still carried a  6th June 2016 post which puts peak power generation at 5,074.7MW.  

Screenshot Of The Federal Ministry Of Power Website (www.power.gov.ng) Taken On Saturday

The website also shows that while the ministry has many ambitious projects, none of these was delivered according to schedule.

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For instance, a screenshot shows the Ministry of Power last posted a press release on its website on March, 2020, titled “Implementation of Identified Priorities and Deliverables of Federal Ministry of Power.”

Screenshot Of The Press Release Category Of The Federal Ministry Of Power’s Website

Other news described as “latest news” were dated 2019.

The March 2020 publication was the ministry’s presentation to the Federal Executive Council on February 19, 2020, regarding its activities covering the period of 21st August, 2019 to 18th February, 2020 as well as targets.

As stated in the document, the mandate of the ministry was to increase distribution and transmission capacity in the country to 11,000 MW by 2023 as well as increase generation capacity by at least 1,000 MW annually through the completion of “ongoing power generation projects such as Zungeru 700MW, Katsina 10MW,  Kaduna 215MW, Kashimbilla 40MW Transmission, Afam Three 240MW And Mambilla Power.”

The ministry further stated that between December 2019 to December 2020, Zungeru Power Plant (700MW),  Kaduna (215MW), Afam Three Fast Power (240MW) and Kashimbilla 40MW & Dadin Kowa (40MW) projects would be completed—a deadline that had long expired.

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It also targeted to complete 14 Solar Projects (1,050MW) and Jigawa Energy City (50MW) from December 2020 to December 2021.

For the Zungeru 700MW Power Project, the ministry stated that the total contract sum for it was $1,293,573,013.08 while adding that it had paid about $758,374,522.33 with expected date of completion fixed at December 2021.

It added that it “raised $1.661 billion concessionary funding for Transmission, Rehabilitation  and Expansion Programme (TREP)” for the projects.

NO ACTIVITY IN POWER MINISTRY

The ministry is responsible for the provision of power in the country but as of the time of this report, the website did not reveal the progress it has made on the projects and other targets since February 19 , 2020.

According to an ICT Expert and Chief Executive Officer, Passionview Solutions Ltd, Guzau, Zamfara State, Peter Samuel Anyebe, one of the proofs of a functional federal government website is when it has recent information detailing its activities.

Anyebe told THE WHISTLER  that when there are no recent press releases on a government website like the Ministry of Power, it shows that there is either no activity in the said ministry to warrant it being published or shady things are happening in the ministry.

He said that a website is the image of a particular ministry or organization and it technically and extensively tells what they are doing while serving as an online document or screen that shows an organization to the world.

He also said that a website makes an organization marketable online and to the international community.

“Without event, is there any news? News goes with event…a person in the ministry cannot publish abstract. A website is an information platform on the internet where you feed people visiting the site with relevant information about what you do, how you do what you do and what you give out to people that they can benefit by coming to you.

 “It( press releases) is not optional, but if they know that they are dubious, then it becomes a necessity, any information they like they publish. Once somebody has endorsed a document and signed it as a press release, that document is supposed to be released, first, on the official website of that particular organization, secondly, the news media; because for every website there are stakeholders, for every ministry, there are people following,” he said.

 He added that a ministry like that of power should have a “dynamic website” whereby all on-going activities are advertised on the site while at the “end of the activity or whatever, the communique or information will be posted for the public to learn from it.”

RESPONSE FROM THE MINISTRY

THE WHISTLER spoke on phone to the SA Media to the former Minister of Power, Sale Mamman, Aaron Artimas, about the ministry’s dormant website, but he referred our correspondent to the Ministry’s Deputy Director of the Press, Austin Asoluka.

“Well, unfortunately I can’t answer that question because I am a political appointee of the ministry, under the minister’s office directly. That job ought to be that of the deputy director of the press, he who is a civil servant and who should be managing that website,” Artimas said.

In his response, Asoluka told THE WHISTLER that it was not mandatory to have recent press releases on the website.

“Is it mandatory that ministry must post press release on the website? It’s not about press release but about necessary information. Vital information about the ministry is always on the website,” he said.

When pressed further by our correspondent about users’ interaction with the website, he admitted that the ministry’s website had challenges but added that it would be resolved quickly.

“We are sorting things out, the website has some issues. It has issues and the ministry is working on it; soonest we will update the website. The ministry is working assiduously to get it done,” he said.

Asoluka also added that the ministry has a platform where it provides recent information to accredited journalists.

BUHARI ASKS SALEH TO LEAVE OFFICE

THE WHISTLER reports that President Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday, relieved Mamman and the Minister of Agriculture, Mohammed Sabo Nanono of their duties.

Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari

Giving an insight into why the ministers were sacked, Buhari said that the federal government took the step to further strengthen weak areas, close gaps, build cohesion and synergy in governance, manage the economy and improve the delivery of public good to Nigerians.

“Two years and some months into the second term, the tradition of subjecting our projects and programs implementation to independent and critical self-review has taken firm roots through sector Reporting during Cabinet meetings and at Retreats.

“ As we are all aware, change is the only factor that is constant in every human endeavour and as this administration approaches its critical phase in the second term, I have found it essential to reinvigorate this cabinet in a manner that will deepen its capacity to consolidate legacy achievements,” the president added.

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