By Levinus Nwabughiogu

ABUJA – Ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP and the All Progressives Congress, APC Thursday disagreed on the timeline for stable power supply of at last nine hours daily in Nigeria.

While PDP relied on the privatization of the sector and other reforms made to say that the next 10 weeks was sufficient, APC which alleged monumental decay in the sector it would require thorough cleansing before stability can be achieved in the area.

According to the opposition party, a comprehensive road map which may take at least 12 to 18 months would be needed before any meaningful progress could be made.

Both parties stated their positions at a debate on power in the Nigerian Political Power Parties Discussion Series organized by the Center for Democratic and Development (CDD) in Abuja yesterday.

While the National Publicity Secretary of APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed represented the APC, Chairman of Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) Sam Amadi and Mr. Okey Ikechukwu appeared for the PDP.

Though the PDP agreed that the sector had been down in the last 3 decades, Amadi however assured that the next 10 weeks would witness tremendous difference.

According to him, one of the ways of improvement was the involvement of the Distribution companies and the investors which he said would bring efficiency into the system.
“The PDP knew that the only way to achieve power stability is to involve the discos for efficiency”, Amadi said.

He also admitted that vandalization of the equipment had been the greatest challenge of the sector, advocating for attitudinal change on the part of Nigerians.

“Nigerian is the highest vandalized gas market in the world”, he said.

But speaking on the same issue, the APC spokesman, Lai Mohammed said “APC government is going to invest in high technology surveillance to reduce the incident of vandalization.”

On bringing stability in the sector, Mohammed said “the government would inherit liabilities. We are going to inherit the assets. Give us time to correct the ills of the present time. Give us time to draw a comprehensive master-plan. We have amassed the best brain working for us. We are going to work under the government that has zero tolerance for corruption.

Asked whether APC government if elected would work with the new investors, Mohammed said “We shall work with them. What is important is not who bought those assets but for Nigerians to have stable power.”