AES urges ban on importation of electricity generators

Providence Obuh

21 May 2012, Sweetcrude, LAGOS — President of the Academy for Entrepreneurial Studies (AES), Dr. Ausbeth Ajagu, has urged the Nigerian government to ban the importation of electricity generating sets into the country, in a bid to address the epileptic power situation in the country.

Ajagu, who spoke weekend, at a press conference, said Nigeria should emulate Ghana that barred foreigners from selling generators in order to avoid sabotage of its stable power supply.

“I was in Ghana recently and I spoke with the President. He told me that Nigerians have been prevented from coming into Ghana to sell generating sets because the moment they do that, Nigerians will sabotage the country’s electricity company and it will go up like Nigeria,” he said, adding that the President said it never occurred to him that Nigerians or anybody would ever contemplate coming to Ghana for such business.

He said: “What do you expect from somebody who imports over N50 billion worth of diesel every quarter to do? What do you expect from somebody who imports generator set in large quantity? Sabotage of course.

“If Nigeria’s electricity company works well, they will not sell; we should look at each other and say, let us stop the importation of generating sets. That is the way to go, we are not for or against the proposed price hike, we are interested in enabling environment.

“If we can get constant electricity supply, whatever the price, people will pay.This is because if they consider the inconveniences of financing their generating set, they are left with no option.”

He advised the Federal Government to hands off the issue of power, saying “government does not have any business with power, all they need to do is create all the necessary enabling environment.”

He spoke ahead of the Academy’s National Conference scheduled for May 22, holding at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, with theme: “Strong systems: Necessity for building a virile nation.”