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var sbtitle9720=encodeURIComponent(The Powerfu...Read the full article.

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Truly truly...thou hast written...
so let it be read, so let it be implemented...
in oda words...
he who has an ear let him be earing!

Da Bishop.

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@ Author

I hope you'll find some answers to the following question you raised .........Pray, how did Obasanjo spend the whopping amount being gracelessly credited to his regime?, in this Punch Newspapers News article especially the bolded part:



http://odili.net/news/source/2008/jan/22/415.html

In the dock: Obasanjo vs. Obasanjo

By Azubuike Ishiekwene


He looked a bit shrunken in his light blue ankara with red and navy-blue flower designs and an embroidered cap slouched over his left ear. But the photograph did not tell the whole story. It could not. There was definitely something missing in the photograph of the Olusegun Obasanjo that I saw in the newspapers on Thursday. I’m not talking about the absence of security men who zealously kept press photographers at arm’s length and ensured that for eight years while he was President, long-range pictures were the common fare. I’m not talking about the absence of some his famously noisy political associates – Bode George and Chairman Ahmadu Ali, for example – who kept his government in the news for the wrong reasons.

Interestingly, to his right, in this particular photograph, was the former Prelate of the Methodist Church, Sunday Mbang, a man who, for the eight years when Obasanjo was in power, spoke up when he should, often to the great discomfort of those in the corridors of power. Mbang was hardly Obasanjo’s kind of regular company. But after all that the former President had been through in the last few weeks, part self-inflicted and part inflicted by his own stooge and current President, Umaru Yar’Adua, it was perhaps clear that he needed new company. And he had to find it.

As he walked side by side with Mbang after a meeting in Osun State on the proposed Institute for Black Culture and International Understanding, I saw in Obasanjo something that was missing in the pixels; not even the unusually close-range picture could capture the turmoil within: This was the picture of a man groping for an anchor. He needs one badly. The former two-time Nigerian president and one time military head of state who loves to speak of history as his refuge is now confronted with the grim reality that history is not always what we wish it to be.

His image as international statesman was badly damaged by the sham general election of April 2007. He sauntered off the stage, losing his esteem abroad and his respect at home, where bitter election disputes split the Presidency and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party. He had also became a byword among many voters and ordinary citizens, especially after slamming higher fuel prices and increasing VAT by 100 per cent on the eve of his departure from office.

But the real odysseys have been on the home front. As if Obasanjo, being Obasanjo, was not enough trouble, his children have been in the news for grievous reasons. It began with a suit filed at the election petition tribunal in November that Obasanjo’s daughter, Iyabo, was twice convicted in the United States and was therefore not fit to contest the last election. The petitioner, Remi Bakare, said that apart from documents downloaded from the Internet, she could swear by her wisdom tooth that Iyabo broke the law by running for office in spite of her two previous records as a convict.

Bakare lost, but payback dirt surfaced elsewhere. This time, Iyabo’s role in a N3.5bn contract involving an Austrian company, M. Schneider GMBH, and its Nigerian subsidiary, M. Schneider Energy Nig. Limited, came to light. At the heart of the saga, elegantly named Iyabogate, is the allegation that the former ‘first daughter’ used her position to secure juicy contracts for a company in which she acted as a front and forged her name to dodge the law. Though the jury is not out yet, those who see Obasanjo’s hand in every despicable thing that has happened in the last eight years have been quick to describe the whole affair as yet another proof that the Obasanjo era was one without a single redeeming value. Add to this mix the bitter divorce case between Obasanjo’s son, Gbenga, and his daughter-in-law, Mojisola, and you will wonder how much further dirt before we reach the bottom?

In a week that conspired to cast Obasanjo in the worst light possible, the former President would perhaps be more confounded not by the allegation of his role in the collapse of his son’s marriage––in matters of the libido he knows that he is perceived in the worst light possible––but by the comment by his anointed, Yar’Adua. The President said, while receiving the World Bank Vice President and key minister in Obasanjo’s cabinet, Oby Ezekwesili, that $10bn spent on power on the former president’s watch was money down the drain. That was an unkind cut, but who will speak for Obasanjo’s government? At a time in his government, he had at least four top officials who spoke for him and for his government in and out of season. There were many more that put themselves at his disposal unsolicited. Today, there’s only a resounding silence from his camp, as half-truths are passed off daily as gospel.

Power supply is a far cry from what it ought to be, but it is not true that Obasanjo squandered $10bn on his testosterone. In 1999, power supply stood at less than 1,600 megawatts. Between 2000 and 2007, six existing thermal and hydro power stations at Afam (276 MW), Delta (276 MW), Egbin (1,320 MW), Kainji (80 MW), Sapele (440 MW), and Shiroro (15 MW), were repaired at the cost of $986m. The power plants in Omoku, Geregu/Ajaokuta and Omotosho were also completed and connected to the national grid. Power supply to Abuja and environs, according to records at the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, received a boost after the completion of the Abuja-Shiroro double circuit transmission line. That was before the government launched its plan for the five IPPs. Today, the supply stands at about 3,200 MW.

Of course, demand is growing and what consumers are interested in is stable power, not stories. But I find it personally distasteful that the Yar’Adua government, which made so much song and dance about declaring a state of emergency in the power sector, has been less than forthright with the public on why the administration has been sleepwalking on the matter. At the heart of the delay in the last seven months is the allegation that the President, torn between supporters of General Electric and Siemens (the two major equipment suppliers), has refused to sign the necessary documents for GE to inspect the sites where the gas turbines will be located, leaving the contractors in a quandary. Unless the matter with GE is sorted out, the gas turbines (for the new power plants) cannot be moved to site and installation cannot begin. Yar’Adua appears to have been paralysed by the Siemens cabal in government that wishes to do business as usual. To make matters worse, the Energy Council set up four months ago (headed by Rilwan Lukman) has been sitting on its bum, no questions asked. What we are hearing from the council is that nothing can be done until the statutes regulating the power sector have been changed. Who will change them?

Obasanjo deserves all the bashing he can get. As I looked at his photograph again on Thursday, I imagined that more would still come for this self-professed enemy of the press. But obsession with his failures and tragedies, deserved as they may sometimes be, hardly justifies twisting the facts where he deserves credit.

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...therefore blame not Obj for the failure in the power sector but blame the unprogressive Nigerians whom you nicknamed "mafia" that have all along been sabotaging candid efforts made by Obj's administration.Remember that late Bola Ige almost succeeded in providing us with uninterrupted power supply before the mafias went to work on him and completely destroyed his efforts.
The said over $10 billion lavished upon power sector is not in Obj's personal account,rather it is in some cliques' pocket or stacked up in foreign Banks thus boosting that nation's economy at the expense of ours.The money dished out for road construction and rehabilitation is not in Obj's pocket,rather certain high powered crooks sat upon the money while Obj is powerless to challenge them openly.How could he?Were they not the ones that imposed him upon us as the President since 1999?Why is Yar'adua taking it so easy with the likes of Ibori, as such that Ribadu was traded off?Was Ibori and other crooks not Yar'adua's big financiers in the past dubious election? Yar'adua is afraid of another scene of "You Tarka me,I Daboh you"
The problem with Nigeria is not Obj.The problem with Nigeria is Nigerians.
We labelled the Police as the most corrupt institution in Nigeria.Possibly so.The truth is that there will be no corrupt Police institution if there are no corrupt public officials.Children learn what they practice. Those of us who grew up in the fifties and sixties knew too well that the Police was not a corrupt institution then because the public officials then were not corrupt.The general public too was not corrupt but very hard working.Farmers till the land and government workers were quite contented with their wages,meagre as it may seemed then.
Today the reverse is the case.Public officials are dangerously corrupt today,hence we have no roads,no electricity,no water,no food,no hospital,absolutely nothing after fourtyseven years of self rule.
Bear it in mind too that what we are going through today did not start with Obj in 1999.He met it on the ground.Unfortunately for Obj,those who wrecked Nigeria before his arrival and who would continue to wreck Nigeria are all over the place as his political associates,his workers,his Ministers,his Party members and Party chieftains.They are celebrated crooks with lots of money.Many of them dished out huge amount of money for Obj's campaigns and elections.As a matter of fact many of them are more sophisticated than Obj, therefore he could not collide head-on with many known corrupt politicians,not just in his own ruling political Party but as well in opposition parties.
All that Obj could do was to pick on some soft targets like Alams,Dariye,Kalu,Tafa Balogun etc.At least he did something and he make impacts.Shagari did nothing in his own case.
We may not have electricity in this country and other infrastructures until corruption is dealt deadly blows.Will Yar'adua do it?I'm afraid!

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This is all Yak!! We have heard all this gist B4!!!! This is a repeat!!

Could some one please tell us the Solution to this lack of electricity in Nigeria so we can chart a course of action!!

Give us an Analysis of the problem, Methods and ideas to solve them!!

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the solution to naija power problem has been common knowledge since 2004.
bola ige spent all his energies on achievng optimal efficency of the existing structure by fightng staff mago mago etc. this is not good enough.

1) build more gas power generation plants to take capacity to atleast 10,000mw.
2) secure gas supply by striking a deal with niger delta miltants and other stake holders.
3) improve the distribution infrastructure
4) get the public to pay for power supplied.

the big question is why could obj not achieve much in this direction in his second term.

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=bob;4294982836>the solution to naija power problem has been common knowledge since 2004.
bola ige spent all his energies on achievng optimal efficency of the existing structure by fightng staff mago mago etc. this is not good enough.

1) build more gas power generation plants to take capacity to atleast 10,000mw.
2) secure gas supply by striking a deal with niger delta miltants and other stake holders.
3) improve the distribution infrastructure
4) get the public to pay for power supplied.

the big question is why could obj not achieve much in this direction in his second term.

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Go point Bob. The US$10 billion that the mischief called Yar Adua is talking about was invested by Obj on power plants. For those who are more educated on this issue, it takes a minimum of 4 years to build a power plant. Before he left office, Obj confessed that he got the grip of the problem too late.

Yes, there are powerful mafia in Nigeria that fed on our mystery. If Obj was not able to contain these evil men, we now know and some begining to know that Yaradua cannot either.

God save us.

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But I just did.The problems in power sector will persist as long as corruptions persist.What else do you want me to tell you as the solution?Take corruption out of place and see how beautiful Nigeria is.It is no yak,it is an indisputable fact and you better believe it.

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=ajis15;4294982945>Go point Bob. The US$10 billion that the mischief called Yar Adua is talking about was invested by Obj on power plants. For those who are more educated on this issue, it takes a minimum of 4 years to build a power plant. Before he left office, Obj confessed that he got the grip of the problem too late.

Yes, there are powerful mafia in Nigeria that fed on our mystery. If Obj was not able to contain these evil men, we now know and some begining to know that Yaradua cannot either.

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Hog wash!

Do you really believe OBJ needed 8 years to "discover what was wrong with the power sector.

Why would a president make so many uninformed declarations on the timing for improving capacity generation?

And instead of firing the person who was a principal actor in the gaffe he instead rewards him with a governorship "appointment"

By the way many of the so called power projects are already failed projects by design

In the business world you don't get the luxury of 8 years and $10B to make a failed attempt at fixing a problem. You will not be fired but will could also face prosecution

This is GROSS INCOMPETENCE!