From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
The new Minister of Power, Engineer Abubakar Aliyu assumed office Monday, reading the riot act to his staff.
He said that the staff must ensure that they do not engage in hanky panky because he finds it difficult to deal with dishonest people.
‘I like honesty. If anybody tells me lies it is difficult to trust him again. I hardly lie. I like orderliness and teamwork. Our work touches on the lives of over 200 people. So, it touches all of us,’ the new minister declared.
He implored staff to help him achieve the purpose for which President Muhammad Buhari drafted him from the Ministry of Works and Housing to the Ministry of Power.
Aliyu, who was in the company of his Water Resources counterpart, explained that he was deployed to the ministry to ensure that the 200 million Nigerians get power.
He said that all the directors and their titles should be translated to the production of power.
‘I want those titles to be translated to the production of power from generation, transmission and distribution of power.
‘I was sent here for a purpose as regards power generation, distribution and transmission. I need not only your hands on deck. I need your mind,’ he said.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, William Alo, assured the minister that the staff will work with him with utmost honesty and commitment to ensure he succeeds in the ministry.
On September 1, President Muhammad Buhari appointed Aliyu as the new Minister of Power after sacking his predecessor, Sale Mamman.
Aliyu is expected to ensure sanity in the ministry and also make sure that all the agencies in the Ministry of Power submit to constituted authority. Aliyu is also expected to return Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET), a major player in the Ministry Power, back to the industry.
On January 7, 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari removed NBET from the Ministry of Power and took it to the Ministry of Finance, due to some irreconcilable differences between the then Minister of Power, Sale Mamman and the then Managing Director of NBET, Ms Marylin Amobi.
Above all, the minister should make sure that the distribution of meters to Nigerians is concluded next year.
Aliyu Abubakar Aliyu hails from Yobe, Potiskum Local Government Area. An engineer by profession, Aliyu attended Central Primary School, Jimeta, where he had his First School Leaving Certificate in 1979. He proceeded to GSSS Monguno in Borno State where he obtained his West African School Certificate in 1984. After that, he proceeded to Kaduna State Polytechnic where he got a National Diploma (ND) in Civil Engineering in 1988 and HND in High Ways and Transportation Engineering in 1993, In 1999 he obtained his Bachelor of Engineering in Civil and Water Resources Engineering from the University of Maiduguri.