Makinde Deceived Oyo People With “Failed” ₦8.5bn 11MW Power Project — Alli Campaign

The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation has accused Governor Seyi Makinde of deceiving the people of Oyo State with what it described as a ‘failed’ ₦8.5 billion 11-megawatt Independent Power Project.

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The campaign organisation also said there was no justification for the continued use of diesel-powered generators to operate streetlights across the state, despite the huge amount it alleged had been spent on the project.

In a statement by Bisi Oladele, Director of Media and Publicity of the campaign council, the organisation was reacting to Makinde’s explanation that inadequate electricity supply was responsible for his administration’s dependence on fuel-powered generators for streetlights.

The campaign said the governor’s excuse was “disingenuous” and showed what it described as gross incompetence and leadership failure, noting that the Electricity Act 2023 empowered states to generate, transmit and distribute electricity.

It said Oyo State had subsequently established the Oyo State Electricity Regulatory Commission and completed the transfer of regulatory oversight from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, giving the state the authority to attract investors, license electricity projects and develop sustainable power solutions.

“Governor Makinde, therefore, has no excuse for his own incompetence and glaring failure,” the campaign said, adding that the state should have taken advantage of the opportunity created by the new electricity law.

The organisation alleged that the 11MW Independent Power Project awarded to Elektron Energy and valued at ₦8.5 billion failed to deliver the expected result, despite billions of naira committed to it.

It said the Makinde administration eventually terminated the project, leaving residents without the sustainable electricity promised for critical infrastructure, including streetlights, the government secretariat in Agodi and health facilities.

The campaign also compared Oyo’s situation with power projects in other states, citing Abia, Akwa Ibom and Ekiti, which it said had generated 188MW, 191MW and 8.6MW respectively.

It further alleged that the diesel-powered streetlights were no longer working in some areas, leaving major roads dark at night, while accusing the administration of spending heavily on fuelling and replacing generators.

The organisation said blaming irregular power supply was particularly embarrassing for a governor who prides himself on being an electrical engineer, arguing that the purpose of leadership was to solve problems rather than repeatedly describe them or use them as excuses for failure.

“After more than seven years in office, the governor cannot continue blaming external forces for problems that fall within the authority and capacity of his administration to address,” it said.

The campaign called for a properly planned electricity strategy incorporating solar-powered streetlights, embedded generation, renewable energy, independent distribution networks and private-sector investment.

It added that such measures would form part of Senator Sharafadeen Alli’s focus if he becomes governor, saying Oyo residents do not need a government that spends heavily on projects and later manufactures excuses when such projects turn out to be a fiasco.