The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has said he has been threatened many times by unknown persons who are against the reforms in the country’s power sector.
Adelabu, a former Oyo State governorship candidate, said he would not be bullied and intimidated by those against the progress and success recorded in the sector.
Speaking during an interview on Fresh FM’s ‘Political Circuit’ programme, the former minister asserted that all problems in the power sector are surmountable.
The minister also claimed that cabals and cartels are behind the blowing up of power transmission substations with dynamites and the pulling down of a power line.
He said, “There will be resistance, people stand in your way, saboteurs and others. Let me say this for the first time. I receive threat calls,” he said.
“I am the 49th power minister in the country. The past ministers were probably bullied and intimated in their work. It does not take ordinary people to blow up a power transmission substation with dynamites and pull down a power line.
“It is an organised crime. It is a cabal and cartel. We are all Nigerians, but we are all Nigerians. We will not run away from ourselves.”
Speaking further on the significant development attained in his one year in office, he said Nigeria had struggled with electricity generation of 4,000 megawatts (MW).
Adelabu added that in less than a year in office, his development plans have added more than 1,000MW of electricity to the capacity of the national grid.
He said, “We have raised the electricity generating capacity from 4,000MW to 5,155MW recorded on the 8th of August, 2024. In the past, it took the country over 25 years to achieve 2,000MW of power, and it took between 1984 and today to achieve an additional 2,000MW.
“When we resumed as a minister, the electricity generated was 4,000MW and within a year, we have added over 1,000MW. Our target is to hit 6,000MW with the support of the Federal Government before the end of this year.”