Naija Labour Congress (NLC) don come out strong to talk say Federal Government suppose merge di Ministry of Power and Ministry of Petroleum Resources to become one Ministry of Energy. According to di NLC president, Comrade Joe Ajaero, dis move go help to solve di serious electricity wahala wey dey ground for Nigeria. Ajaero yarn dis matter for one statement wey him release on Sunday, and e talk say di current system no dey work at all.
Di NLC president explain say di two ministries dey work like separate people wey no dey talk to each other, and dis na why gas wey suppose dey power our electricity no dey reach. Him talk say di petroleum sector dey treat gas like something wey dem go export to make money for big men, while di power sector dey beg for gas to make light dey. Ajaero yarn say dis kain system na design flaw wey dey make only rich people dey benefit, while ordinary Nigerians dey suffer for darkness.
According to di labour union, di recent alarm wey dem raise about di proposed N6 trillion bailout for power generation companies (GenCos) na just small symptom of big problem wey dey inside di system. Dem talk say Nigeria no fit continue to dey put plaster for wound wey don deep sotey e don spoil. Di NLC say di only solution na to do radical structural intervention by merging di two ministries immediately.
“For too long, these two critical ministries have operated in silos, serving the interests of separate fractions of the bourgeoisie while the productive base of our economy collapses,” Ajaero talk for di statement. Him explain say di gas wey dey control Nigeria thermal power generation dey under petroleum industry wey dey operate like rent-seeking enclave with no accountability to di people need for electricity.
Di NLC president yarn say e dey unfortunate say government through di petroleum industry dey treat gas as commodity for export to fetch foreign exchange for di elite, while di power sector dey beg for feedstock to keep di lights on. Him talk say dis functional dependency na design flaw wey dey serve primitive accumulation of capital. Di Petroleum Ministry dey prioritize profits of International Oil Companies (IOCs) and local moguls, while di Power Ministry dey left to explain to Nigerians why grid dey collapse because gas pipelines dey empty or vandals don spoil am.
Di labour union demand say make government create unified Ministry of Energy to break these compartmentalised fiefdoms. Dem talk say dis no be mere administrative tinkering; na political demand to assert national sovereignty over our energy resources. Under single ministry, dem go get one minister wey go dey accountable to Nigerian people, no be collection of officials wey dey play blame game.
“When di power plants dey down due to lack of gas, di same ministry responsible for petroleum extraction go be directly implicated,” Ajaero explain. “Dis go end di era where Power Minister dey blame Petroleum Minister, and Petroleum Minister dey blame market forces and global volatility.”
Di NLC describe di merger as pathway to rationalize di sector based on public interest, no be private profit. Dem talk say e go facilitate holistic view of our energy assets, ensure say gas wey be national heritage go first and foremost dey used to generate domestic power to industrialize di nation and create jobs, rather than dey flared or exported while Nigerians dey suffer for darkness.
Di union talk say dis wey dem dey propose go enhance national Energy planning wey be key to national development. E go allow Nigeria price electricity fairly by ending di Cost-Reflective model. Dem talk say current regime dey force Nigerians to pay for inefficiency and greed of private investors. Unified Ministry go prioritize service-reflective tariffs as service delivery become di Ministry main driver.
“Dis way, we ensure say workers and Nigerians pay fair rates for actual service, no be costs imposed by inefficiencies and greed,” di NLC statement talk. Dem reiterate dia stand say electricity na social service and fundamental right, no be luxury commodity to dey traded on various capitalists markets.
Di failed privatization experiment of 2013 don prove say private sector no fit solve Nigeria power crisis. Dia business model dey built on extracting maximum tariffs while providing minimum service. By merging di Ministries, dem talk say Nigeria go take first step toward de-commodifying energy. Dem move towards system where State, through coordinated Ministry of Energy, fit mobilize public finance for investment in generation, transmission, and distribution, just as e dey done for nations wey don lift dia citizens out of poverty.
Di Labour Union also call on Federal Government to initiate process of merging Ministry of Petroleum and Ministry of Power into single Ministry of Energy. Dem urge government to halt di proposed N6 trillion bailout to di GENCOs. “Our commonwealth no fit dey used to settle cartel of failed investors,” dem talk.
Dem also ask government to convene genuine National Stakeholders Summit to draft People Power Roadmap wey go prioritize public ownership, energy security, and welfare of Nigerian workers and masses. “Di working class and di people of Nigeria no fit continue to be hostages to artificial scarcity created by decapitation of our national resources,” di NLC talk.
“We demand say government treat our energy as unified whole, managed for benefit of many, no be greed of few. When workers and broader citizenry dey for darkness, economy dey paralyzed. E be time to unite di ministries, unify di vision, and take back power sector for our nation!” di statement conclude.
For separate interview on TVC, Ajaero yarn say Nigeria persistent electricity crisis stem from absence of coherent national roadmap for power sector. Him talk say no minister regardless of competence fit significantly improve supply under current system. Him maintain say country electricity challenges na structural rather than individual, stressing say system itself na “designed not to work.”
According to am, with generation capacity dey hover around 4,000 megawatts, any minister fit at best sustain output at dat level but lack framework to expand am meaningfully. Ajaero criticize di 2013 privatisation of power sector, describe am as process wey transfer public assets to private investors without delivering corresponding improvements in infrastructure or service delivery.
Him identify over-reliance on gas-fired generation as major vulnerability in Nigeria power mix. While acknowledging country abundant gas resources, him talk say poor coordination and pricing challenges don limit its effective use for electricity generation. Him highlight institutional conflicts between ministries responsible for petroleum and power, argue say both sectors na fundamentally linked and suppose dey managed under single authority.
According to am, such integration go eliminate policy conflicts and ensure say sufficient gas dey allocated to electricity production, rather than dey diverted primarily for export or other uses. “In di gas-to-power projects, you get problem now between Minister of Petroleum and Minister of Power. So ordinarily, anybody wey understand energy economies or energy law go tell you say di two ministries na ministries of energy. So di two suppose dey for one ministry,” Ajaero talk.
Him point to rising electricity tariffs and mounting financial demands by operators as evidence of flawed system, citing recent claims by generation companies for about N6 trillion in subsidy support. Di labour leader argue say current structure allow operators to push for higher tariffs without commensurate improvements in output, leaving government to shoulder increasing financial burdens to keep system afloat.
Ajaero note say power infrastructure require years of planning and execution, warning say failure to begin projects today guarantee shortages for future. In contrast, him talk say Nigeria don fail to establish pipeline of projects, even as new estates, industries, and households continue to increase pressure on already constrained grid.
Beyond gas, Ajaero lament slow pace of development in alternative energy sources, including hydro and solar. Him single out long-delayed Mambilla hydropower project, wey get potential to generate between 3,600 and 4,000 megawatts, roughly equivalent to Nigeria current output. Him also reference Zungeru hydropower plant, with capacity of about 1,000 megawatts, noting say fully harnessing such projects fit significantly boost national supply.
Even within existing system, Ajaero point to serious infrastructure weaknesses, particularly in transmission and distribution. Him talk say ageing and inadequate transformers, weak transmission lines, and poor maintenance practices often result in system collapses, even when power dey generated. Him further criticize lack of proper energy management, especially failure to balance gas and hydro generation across seasons.
Ideally, him explain, gas plants suppose dey prioritized during dry seasons while hydro facilities dey maximized during periods of high water levels. Instead, him talk say authorities often run both systems simultaneously to boost short-term generation figures, neglecting necessary maintenance and undermining long-term efficiency. Ajaero warn say such practices no only strain existing infrastructure but also reduce lifespan of power plants, further compounding sector challenges.
“Even di ministers no understand wetin we call water management,” Ajaero talk. “During dry season, you fit do plenty with gas power stations. You fire dem to maximum. During rainy season, you service some of di gas power stations and make use of hydro stations while water level dey high. You fit maintain some level of equilibrium for dis process. But dis time around, politically for dem to talk say dem dey generate 5,000 megawatts, dem fire both gas and hydro.”
“And at di time dem suppose service and do turnaround maintenance on gas plants, dem go dey fire am, so dat dem want prove everybody wrong say dem get 6,000 megawatts. So no plan dey ground on how to sustain power sector,” him emphasize.
According to NLC, while ruling class and dia crony capitalist allies for electricity Distribution Companies (Discos) and Generation Companies (Gencos) continue to feast on commonwealth through phantom subsidy claims and outrageous tariff hikes, Nigerian people dey left to pay for darkness. Di NLC talk say need dey for holistic view of Nigeria energy assets, ensure say gas, wey be national heritage, rather than dey flared or exported while Nigerians dey suffer for darkness.
“We demand say government treat our energy as unified whole, managed for benefit of many, no be greed of few,” dem talk. Di union opposition to di proposed N6 trillion bailout and call for ministry merger don become major talking point for energy sector discussions, with many Nigerians dey wait to see wetin government go do about di matter.
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