A former Minister of Power, Prof Barth Nnaji, has declared his intention to contest the 2023 Enugu governorship seat under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Professor Nnaji says he wants to be Governor so that he can add value to his state.
He said he was also entering into the race with a lot of experience both in government and private sector.
Professor Nnaji said he had built a power project in collaboration with others which now supplies 24/7 power in Aba region in Abia State.
He stated this in Abuja at the party’s headquarters when he submitted his nomination form.
Professor Nnaji said; “Well, I’ve served the nation as Minister twice. Each time that I have come to serve, It is for good. I served as a Minister of Science and Technology, though for a short period and I put in my best.
“I was Minister of power too. When I came to the ministry, there was power reform agenda, an act made as far back as 2005 and was put on the shelf. We dusted it off and started the reform programme, which is the practical implementation of it. And the outcome was privatisation of the power sector. But of course, I left before the finalisation of the project because what we wanted was that anybody who was going to take over any of the assets would come with two important capacities, the financial capacity and technical capacity. So here we’re without that and this is part of the challenge the country is facing in the power sector.”
The ex Minister said he was trained from the United States as a distinguished Professor of engineering from one of the best schools in the world and he ran the United States National Science Foundation Center of Excellence in design.
He said; “What we have been saying is that we need technocrats in government who can come and perform and that’s what we’re bringing in. We want to build on what our Governor has done and keep projecting the State.”
He said; “Well, security is not a public discourse. But if our governor has managed to maintain a peaceful environment, in the region, definitely anybody who’s coming into this position, wants to do everything possible to maintain that.
“If you have peace, then people would come to invest. Money doesn’t go where there is crisis. And so what we want is to have this so that we can have investors.
“Therefore, I can assure you that If I win as Governor, Enugu State will have reliable electricity and I will ensure good governance, provide adequate security and basic amenities for the wellbeing of our people,” Professor Nnaji added.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
