By Mary Izuaka

 

The media adviser to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Paul Ibe, has criticised the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, over his comment that Nigerians are calling him to “slow down” because their freezers are now freezing too much.

On Wednesday, Mr Tegbe said some Nigerians had asked him to “slow down” with the improvement in electricity supply because, according to him, their freezers were now working continuously.

Mr Tegbe made the claim in Abuja while speaking at the commissioning of the 3-megawatt solar hybrid power project at Yakubu Gowon University, formerly University of Abuja.

The Minister said he had been receiving feedback from electricity consumers following improvements in supply in some parts of the country.

“Places that didn’t have light at all for three months are now having 18 hours of light. Some areas called me to say, look, I should slow down, that everything in their freezer is freezing. That is what a freezer is meant to do. Let it freeze the food that needs to be frozen,” Mr Tegbe said.

Reacting in a statement posted on his X handle on Thursday, Mr Ibe said the claim does not reflect the reality of power supply in the country.

“For real? Apparently, the Tinubu government hears voices the rest of Nigeria cannot hear. It hears Nigerians complaining about too much electricity, while the official Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) data showed that in April only about 4,286MW was available for dispatch from 13,625MW of installed grid-connected capacity,” Mr Ibe said.

He said that while the minister claims freezers are freezing, Nigerians still rely heavily on generators.

“It hears freezers freezing. Nigerians hear generators roaring. It hears of an electricity revolution. Families see electricity bills consuming their incomes. It hears economic progress. Small businesses see the cost of electricity, petrol and diesel eating away at their margins,” he added.

He noted that diesel has recently crossed N2,000 per litre in parts of the country, adding that the government should listen to Nigerians struggling with the cost of energy, food, transportation and basic survival.

“Perhaps the government should stop listening to these convenient voices and start listening to the millions of Nigerians struggling with the cost of energy, food, transportation and basic survival,” he said.

According to him, the quality of life of Nigerians, not their freezers, is what is freezing.

ALSO READ: FG commissions 3MW solar hybrid project at Yakubu Gowon University

“The real story is not that Nigerians’ freezers are freezing. What is freezing is the quality of life of Nigerians. Household incomes are being frozen by inflation. Small businesses are being frozen out by energy costs. Jobs are disappearing as operating costs rise. Families are cutting consumption simply to survive,” he said.

Mr Ibe said Nigeria does not have an electricity problem because the minister is supplying too much power, noting that official data tells a different story.

“Nigeria does not have an electricity problem because the Minister is supplying too much power. The available official numbers tell a considerably less triumphant story,” he said.

He urged the government to focus on providing reliable and affordable electricity.

“The government should leave the freezer jokes alone. Give Nigerians reliable and affordable electricity. Let their freezers freeze. Stop freezing their lives,” Mr Ibe added.