Power, despite the impressions it gives of pressure and explosiveness, is a catalyst. It sets the ball of change rolling, which is exactly how folks have started to describe the work of Nigeria’s able Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu. However, because blackouts are so frequent these days, the irony is lost in the darkness.
No federal minister currently serving under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu gets swarmed with ridicule more than Adelabu. Maybe it is because of the delicateness of his ministry. Maybe it is because of the seeming ridiculousness of his alleged choice to focus on minor matters.
Since coming into office, Adelabu has not been able to bring about a turnaround in the power sector. Not to mention the near-constant collapses of the national grid, the formerly epileptic condition of electricity in the country appears to have deteriorated. In some places in the country, electric bulbs may have been returned to their packs, especially with everything becoming so expensive.
According to commentators, Adelabu is partly to blame for the state of affairs in the power sector. Yes, he has ideas, tonnes of them. But he has not managed to fix anything. Instead, he seems to have a folder of excuses, conveniently retrieving them to throw at the faces of Nigerians.
The worst report yet is that Adelabu is unable to focus on his work because of his preoccupation with the Oyo State governorship seat. His detractors have called him out for this, accusing him of burning a forest of trees for a single wooden table far away. And even though Adelabu has decried this charge, the power supply is not regular enough to watch him defend himself.
Who will defend him? Better yet, when will Adelabu change the narrative in the power sector?
