Former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah, has accused ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo of halting his efforts to distribute electricity to the people of Akwa Ibom after he successfully built a 191-megawatt power generation plant. Attah, who served as governor from 1999 to 2007, revealed that despite his initiative to provide local power, the then-president mandated that the electricity from the state’s power plant be added to the national grid instead of being distributed locally.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!During an appearance on Channels Television’s Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, Attah expressed frustration over Nigeria’s constitution, advocating for a federal arrangement that would grant states the power to independently manage resources like electricity. He emphasized the need for a constitution aligned with the founding principles of Nigeria’s independence, one that would prevent a president from overriding state initiatives.
Attah recalled his decision to build the power plant for Akwa Ibom’s benefit, despite opposition from Obasanjo. He criticized the national grid’s inefficiency and explained that although the state funded the project, it couldn’t benefit from its own power generation. This experience led him to conclude that the country’s federal structure needs reform to allow states greater autonomy.
Attah applauded the recent amendment to the Electricity Act of 2023, which allows states to generate, distribute, and regulate electricity within their jurisdictions, highlighting that Akwa Ibom’s current governor, Umo Eno, is working to establish an Akwa Ibom power company.
