The President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, said he was virtually abandoned during the crisis that followed the removal of subsidy on petrol in January this year.
Jonathan, who spoke in Abuja on Monday at a workshop on power with the theme: “Dismantling barriers to achieving our power vision,” said that even the governors, who were advocates of the removal of the subsidy, also developed cold feet once the protest started.
Speaking against the backdrop of the plan to increase electricity tariff, beginning June 1, Jonathan said there was the need to engage Nigerians more so that it does not result in another crisis.
He said: “On the June 1 for the increase of electricity tariff, I do not think we have had a robust advocacy and this happened to me during the deregulation. At a point, I wanted to send a team to the states to work with the governors and the Benue State Governor said no, that if we do that there could be crises, that the governors should take charge.
“At the end of the day, by the day we announced the deregulation, almost everything was on my head. Everything was on Jonathan to the extent that even the House of Reps met on a Sunday to discuss it and it became an issue. At a point, some of the governors who participated in pressurising me started shifting back. All what I am saying is that we do not have a robust advocacy.
“The Civil Society may come and tell you that they never heard you. We want enough communication so that we do not get to that June 1st and Nigerians have not been sufficiently informed.”
Jonathan, who was at the workshop until it ended at about 7pm, told the participants that the time to back up words with action in tackling the epileptic power supply in the country had come.
He said that anyone who wants to be a clog in the wheel of progress would be dealt with.
He said the Economic Management Team would meet on Tuesday (tomorrow) to further discuss the decisions taken at the workshop and give timelines for implementation.
Jonathan said: “The Economic Management Team will meet on Tuesday to fine tune and restructure what we discussed here and give time lines to follow.
“The Bureau for Public Enterprises must follow up on the privatisation issue strictly. We do not want to hear any story again. They must follow issues to the letter and strictly with the dates. That we must do with date on the power reform road map. We agreed that it is only through privatisation that we would get to where we want to go.
“Let me use this opportunity to warn that I do not want to hear that they have been influenced by any politician. At least I am the number one politician. Whether the person is my mother or my uncle, I do not want to hear that somebody is from the President or Vice President or that. If you make mistakes, you are on your own and we will deal with you decisively. We must give to the best. The BPE will never make mistake to give this to companies that cannot perform. It must follow international best practices.
“So I want to assure all Nigerians and all the companies that have indicated their interest that there will be no political manipulations and that everything will be followed professionally and only the best can get it. We are not going to play politics with the power privatisation programmes.”
Among those who made presentations at the workshop were the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Dizeani Alison-Madueke; the Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji; the President’s Chief Economic Adviser; Mr. Atedo Perterisde; and Jim Ovia.
The workshop was attended by the Governors of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Godswil Akpabio; Rivers State, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi; Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole; Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi; and Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, as well as ministers, presidential aides and captains of industry.