Ayo Oluokun/Abuja
President Goodluck Jonathan has described claims that his administration is dogged by massive corruption in a report by the United States Government as untrue as “over-amplified’, though he agree that there are ‘issues of corruption in the country’.
Speaking at the signing ceremony of power reforms transactions held at the Banquet Hall of Presidential Villa on Monday, the President said the report submitted to the U.S. Congress by the Secretary of State John Kerry failed to recognize the fact that his administration has done a lot to curtail corrupt activities as shown by the way government has been conducting its business.
The President particularly cited the way government has been able to end the corruption associated with procurement of fertilizer and the fact that even companies with roots in the United States which participated in the ongoing privatization of assets in the power sector acclaimed the process as transparent to back up his point.
“Look at the power sector, when we started initially there were stories in the papers but at the end, even when I went to the U.S., companies from there that participated said publicly that the process was transparent and issues of corruption were not there.
“At least today we’ve also heard directly, that the process was transparent and that there were no issues of manipulations or corruption”, said the President who also promised that his administration will continue to ensure transparency in the transactions in the sector.
Jonathan with MD of TCN, Don Priestmann
The President also said the transaction signing ceremony is an important step in the government’s roadmap for the power sector while assuring Nigerians of the determination of his administration to end the country’s power problems. He added that his administration is making considerable progress in his its power sector reform agenda.
“I must acknowledge that since I effectively kick-started the power reform agenda in August 2010 with the launching of the Power Sector Reform Roadmap, and bearing in mind the scale and complexity of our power sector, considerable progress has been made,” he said.
“The Presidential Action Committee on Power (PACPL) has provided a viable platform for the required focus on the priority policy issues needed to reinforce confidence among investors. Today, we are encouraged by the sustained interest in the sector and the meaningful investments that have been prompted in gas processing, power generation, power distribution and transmission,”the president added”, he added while assuring that his administration is determined to end Nigeria’s power problems.
“To fellow Nigerians, my dear brothers and sisters, this age-long problem of inadequate power supply will be brought to an end by God’s grace. We are dealing in a very dedicated way with much overdue infrastructural and corporate upgrades, and despite the challenges, we are making steady progress each day towards permanent and lasting correction”.
Jonathan with kola Adesina of Sahara Energy
“This government cares about you and will not rest until you can sleep well at night without the irritating noise of generators. Let me reassure all Nigerians, that working in concert with our partners, we will continue to pursue the reform of the power sector with intensity, vigour and determination; there is no shortcut,’’ the President added.
The President Jonathan also congratulated the investors’ confidence in the economy while assuring them that the government will not go beyond its role as a regulator in the economy. Five successful bidders for the generating companies with over 25 per cent payment were handed certificate at the occasion while preferred bidders to the 10 of the PHCN successor distribution companies were also handed over their certificates of 25 per cent down payment.
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