Call attention to abandoned 132KVA Step-Down Substation in Ede
The appointment of Mr Rilwan Lanre Babalola by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Special Adviser to the President on Power and as Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Power Sector Reset and Restoration has been hailed by the Elders of his home city.
In a statement by the Ede Elders Council (Igbimo Gbogbo Agbaagba Omo Ilu Ede), its President, Alhaji Sulaimon Ademola Adebayo said the appointment looks and sounds optimistic for the needed rejuvenation of the comatose power sector in the country.
In a congratulatory message issued by Director of Publicity of Ede Elders Council, Chief Ayodele Adeyemo, the President of Ede Elders said, “this is a great appointment for a worthy son of Edeland. Lanre is one of the most respected Power experts in Nigeria. His first appointment as minister was not as a politician but a technocrat in Power Sector management”
While Mr Lanre Babalola was the Minister for Power some years ago, he brought some seriousness into reshaping the power sector.However his efforts must have been submerged by the jinx in that sector. One of the projects embarked upon at that time was the 132KVA Step-Down Substation, a TCN Project* in Ede which has remained abandoned.
The Ede Elders hoped that the project and such others scattered nationwide would now be revived and completed to enhance massive power transmission and distribution in the country.
“It is heart warming that the Presidency considers Mr Lanre Babalola as a man with “deep sectoral expertise and a proven understanding of the structural and operational challenges within the electricity value chain”.”
As a frontline technocrat in the sector, the Ede Elders are optimistic that Mr Babalola’s appointment as Chairman of Presidential Taskforce on Power Sector Reset and Restoration would yield landmark positive results.President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently appointed Mr Lanre Babalola as Special Adviser on Power and Chairman on Presidential Task Force on Power Sector Reset and Restoration with the mandate of “driving a comprehensive system reset of the electricity sector”.
The President expects Mr Babalola to bring urgency, discipline, and a strong execution focus to this assignment.”
The Ede Elders Council commended President Tinubu on his bold step to rejuvenate the dying Power Sector as Nigerians are yearning and hopeful that the government would be bold to implement the antidotes against both the human and technical incuberances against the power sector as may eventually be put across by the newly selected Presidential Task Force on the Power Sector Reset and Restoration under Mr Rilwan Lanre Babalola.
“Nigeria definitely needs a breakthrough in the power generation and delivery.“We heartily pray for a landmark success for Mr Rilwan Lanre Babalola and his team in the onerous task of reviving the nation’s power sector. Thank you” the statement said.
