Barth Nnaji, the proponent of Geometric Power, Aba, has revealed why he resigned as Minister of power during the Jonathan administration. Speaking to BBC Igbo, Nnaji said he resigned over what happened during the privatisation process. According to him, he had insisted that all DISCOS must have two things, technical expertise and financial independence to operate, so as to weed out those who wanted to use Privatisation to make quick money. However, enormous pressure was put on him to change this policy and he could see that harm might be done to him if he didn't, so he resigned. He regretted that after he left, many of the DISCOS eventually failed due to lack of technical expertise, and the banks they borrowed money from took over the assets

When asked if he was once offered a bribe of a Prado Jeep, Bart Nnaji laughed and said that he had already invested 500 million Dollars in Geometrics before he became Minister and that if he wanted to buy 100 Prado Jeeps today, he could do it.

He also said that Geometric Power was initially supposed to start in 2013 but court battles delayed the Project by 10 years. He also revealed that unlike other Power companies, the power generated by Geometric power would not go to the national grid, but go to Aba and 9 other local governments in Abia state as a start.

https://www.bbc.com/igbo/articles/c9epzrl91j0o?fbclid=IwAR21ximeQHd1ZT7Ch23sW1wennrFDqCmW8UKYhOwiy6hkFOrZxwZCR3i4RA

Odogwu no be nickname, na achievement and attitude. None like him in APC.

:
OP I can see your effort to saintify a criminal because he is your Igbo tribesmen. Below is a NL article about Bart Nnaji forced resignation n confession then when he was fired by Ebele Jonathan not Bihari or Tinubu but Ebele Jonathan.

Professor Barth Nnaji has become a high profile casualty in the crisis in Nigeria’s power sector as President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday “accepted” his resignation as the Minister of Power with immediate effect. The development opened a new chapter in the standoff between unions of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) and the federal government over modalities for fully privatizing the electricity sector.

A statement by Presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati said President Jonathan thanked Prof. Nnaji “for his services to the nation under the present administration and wishes him well in his future endeavours.”

Nnaji’s resignation comes barely two weeks after the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) demanded his resignation citing “vituperation on the workers in the sector. NUEE also accused the then minister of engaging in fraudulent activities in the Power Sector and misinforming Nigerians to the extent of putting them under tension unnecessarily. shocked shocked shocked

The union had also demanded explanation from Nnaji in connection with his role or activities in relation to issues like:

N395m collected from PHCN allegedly for the Media, for 3 months; << 40-man laptop squad no doubt got some rich pickings from this largess grin >>
N280m collected from PHCN allegedly for Nigeria Army;
N200m collected from PHCN allegedly for Unknown Project in the Power Ministry;
N86m collected from PHCN allegedly for a bullet -proof vehicle;
N3m collected from PHCN and donated to Enugu State University of Technology (ESUT); and
Employment of 20 people in Enugu Zone of PHCN who are his kith and kins as staff two years after the closing date of casual employment and close of PHCN biometrics exercise.

“He should also explain to Nigerians why we have been collecting Pension and Gratuity from 1972 till June 2012 based on 25 percent, and why his reform tends to short change the workers,” the statement said, adding that the development confirms the fears of workers in the power sector that Nnaji’s reform is aimed at strangulating workers.” A statement by the union leadership had said.



The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria accepted today the resignation of Barth Nnaji, the hitherto Minister of Power.

The resignation is reportedly connected to the revelations first premiered by Business Day which linked the former cabinet member to an underground bid for Afam Power Station.

Nnaji revealed to the National Council on Privatiation last Friday that his company, Geometrics, was a shareholder in a company that bid for the Afam Power Station.

Afam Power Station has an installed capacity of 775 Megawatts which is 18% of the country’s current total power generation.

The revelation came as a surprise, although many Nigerians were already aware that the privatiation of PHCN was simply an unbundling of the country’s power assets to the cabal.

However the undoing of Mr. Nnaji may have come about as a result of the dispute between himself as minister and PHCN employees.

The PHCN employees were embittered by Nnaji’s refusal to pay them adequate terminal benefits running into hundreds of billions of Naira. The conflict-of-interest being he would not want an asset he was planning to acquire to be hugely indebted to the soon-to-be disengaged PHCN staff.

More details as they emerge
[quote]Down goes the halo...

http://cdn.businessnews.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Barth-Nnaji-150x150.jpg

http://businessnews.com.ng/2012/08/28/breaking-news-power-minister-barth-nnaji-resigns/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=breaking-news-power-minister-barth-nnaji-resigns/]

Game changer, Anyways what he is talking about are now the good old PDP days compared to the evil Apc we now have who came to kill steal and destroy

Power improved very very well under Barth nnaji. I was amongst those few sensible ones who wondered y some people were campaigning he be removed. That was 2012. After he left, nebo Chinedu was appointed, light stopped functioning immediately.

Corruption is a killer of progress. Thanks to Prof for working assiduously till the commissioning of the power plant. There is still many more challenges ahead in the area of distribution and dealing with all the issues associated with power transmission and distribution.

One of two president below pushed him out of his government.

Prof Nnaji, you have shown them how to work the talk! In decades to come, you will be remembered for laying the foundation of industrial revolution in Igboland by provision of 24/7 power supply to Enyimba city.

I have said it before and I will say it again. GEJ should never have allowed his top performing minister to resign. If he could protect Desianni and Stella Uduah, then Barth should have been protected at all cost even if it meant lookking the other to what his distractors were accusing him of.

Exactly.. The ediots claiming he resigned because of clash of interests can now see

The good old days when GEJ (PDP) was in power. Food boku for country like sand.
Alas, today hunger is showing Nigerians shege no thanks to APC disastrous regime.

Nigerians can now see for themselves the difference between development driven by competent people and calamity driven by INCOMPETENT people.

Proverbs 29 When the Righteous are in govt, people rejoice but when the WICKED are in power, the people suffer calamity and hunger.

immortalcrown:
Odogwu no be nickname, na achievement and attitude. None like him in APC.

I guess you didn't read the story before commenting. Prof. Nnaji resigned during the Administration PDP administration and here you are disgracefully blaming APC.

teadrake:

I guess you didn't read the story before commenting. Prof. Nnaji resigned during the Administration PDP administration and here you are disgracefully blaming APC.

He served twice under PDP. None like him in APC. I read the post.

Pergie001:



Professor Barth Nnaji has become a high profile casualty in the crisis in Nigeria’s power sector as President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday “accepted” his resignation as the Minister of Power with immediate effect. The development opened a new chapter in the standoff between unions of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) and the federal government over modalities for fully privatizing the electricity sector.

A statement by Presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati said President Jonathan thanked Prof. Nnaji “for his services to the nation under the present administration and wishes him well in his future endeavours.”

Nnaji’s resignation comes barely two weeks after the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) demanded his resignation citing “vituperation on the workers in the sector. NUEE also accused the then minister of engaging in fraudulent activities in the Power Sector and misinforming Nigerians to the extent of putting them under tension unnecessarily. shocked shocked shocked

The union had also demanded explanation from Nnaji in connection with his role or activities in relation to issues like:

N395m collected from PHCN allegedly for the Media, for 3 months; << 40-man laptop squad no doubt got some rich pickings from this largess grin >>
N280m collected from PHCN allegedly for Nigeria Army;
N200m collected from PHCN allegedly for Unknown Project in the Power Ministry;
N86m collected from PHCN allegedly for a bullet -proof vehicle;
N3m collected from PHCN and donated to Enugu State University of Technology (ESUT); and
Employment of 20 people in Enugu Zone of PHCN who are his kith and kins as staff two years after the closing date of casual employment and close of PHCN biometrics exercise.

“He should also explain to Nigerians why we have been collecting Pension and Gratuity from 1972 till June 2012 based on 25 percent, and why his reform tends to short change the workers,” the statement said, adding that the development confirms the fears of workers in the power sector that Nnaji’s reform is aimed at strangulating workers.” A statement by the union leadership had said.



The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria accepted today the resignation of Barth Nnaji, the hitherto Minister of Power.

The resignation is reportedly connected to the revelations first premiered by Business Day which linked the former cabinet member to an underground bid for Afam Power Station.

Nnaji revealed to the National Council on Privatiation last Friday that his company, Geometrics, was a shareholder in a company that bid for the Afam Power Station.

Afam Power Station has an installed capacity of 775 Megawatts which is 18% of the country’s current total power generation.

The revelation came as a surprise, although many Nigerians were already aware that the privatiation of PHCN was simply an unbundling of the country’s power assets to the cabal.

However the undoing of Mr. Nnaji may have come about as a result of the dispute between himself as minister and PHCN employees.

The PHCN employees were embittered by Nnaji’s refusal to pay them adequate terminal benefits running into hundreds of billions of Naira. The conflict-of-interest being he would not want an asset he was planning to acquire to be hugely indebted to the soon-to-be disengaged PHCN staff.

More details as they emerge

Imagine all the accusations against him by union members and PHCN employees. I'm glad he left and carried on with his business. Don't overwork yourself for those who don't know or value your worth. Let your private work testify to your claims and capability. That's the story of Prof. Barth Nnaji and Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala. More Igbo professionals should channel their expertise back home. We appreciate good things and will support you to build whatever you can for the overall good of AlaIgbo.
God bless Prof. Barth Nnaji.
God bless Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala
God bless Gov. Alex Otti
God bless Professor Nnennaya who ensured Abia people's choice got to lead them.
God bless the entire AlaIgbo irrespective of what geopolitical region it was carved into.

9jatriot:
I have said it before and I will say it again. GEJ should never have allowed his top performing minister to resign. If he could protect Desianni and Stella Uduah, then Barth should have been protected at all cost even if it meant lookking the other to what his distractors were accusing him of.

It depends on where the pressure was coming from.

I understood there was enormous pressure to downtools by the NUEE due to alleged contracts inflation and heavy corruption. Interestingly, the NUEE was headed then by Joe Ajaero.

What broke the camel's back was the privatisation of the DISCOs & GENCOs, an interested former Head of State had told GEJ personally that Nnaji must be fired because it will seem the former Minister had interests in what one of the Ogas wanted.

Jona called Nnaji into his office, read out the long list of allegations and asked for his resignation before the close of work.

The BBC link sef, na still BBC igbo

I only read balance and unbias new source....This one was invited by BBC igbo to come dey cap


I wait a fair source like BBC Africa or a lil better one

Great man..soon we will start deporting immigrants.

Man with integrity, he didn't want his name to be associated with the impending failure so he resigned.
If you want a successful day to day management of your business leave it to a sincere Igbo man and see results, if you want financial advisers and clean records of transactions just give it to a sincere Yoruba man.
Jonathan failed the country with his weakness, we supported him just because Buhari had no business being the president of a complex country like Nigeria

9jatriot:
I have said it before and I will say it again. GEJ should never have allowed his top performing minister to resign. If he could protect Desianni and Stella Uduah, then Barth should have been protected at all cost even if it meant lookking the other to what his distractors were accusing him of.

Goodluck Jonathan was a relatively good but weak man. You must be a strong man to turn a deaf ear to critics and achieve what you want. The same thing Buhari did and Tinubu is doing now. For the fact you are convinced that you are doing the right thing, you must not pay attention to critics.

By the way, Goodluck Jonathan didn't protect Stella Oduah; dude totally cut her off when she wanted audience with the president during the car purchase saga.

Professor Barth Nnaji has left a legacy in Nigeria and will be remembered for this after his death. Alex Otti should name a road, project or street after this great Igbo son.

Perhaps you have forgotten the bolded. Recall she went all the way to Jerusalem when he was on a pilgrimage, to track him and perhaps beg.

SoNature:


Goodluck Jonathan was a relatively good but weak man. You must be a strong man to turn a deaf ear to critics and achieve what you want. The same thing Buhari did and Tinubu is doing now. For the fact you are convinced that you are doing the right thing, you must not pay attention to critics.

By the way, Goodluck Jonathan didn't protect Stella Oduah; dude totally cut her off when she wanted audience with the president during the car purchase saga.

Professor Barth Nnaji has a legacy in Nigeria and will be remembered for this after his death. Alex Otti should name a road, project or street after this great Igbo son.

9jatriot:
Perhaps you have forgotten the bolded. Recall she went all the way to Jerusalem when he was on a pilgrimage, to track him and perhaps beg.

Yet, Jonathan didn't agree to meet with her. That was why she was sacked later. I remember the story clearly.

These accusations and events all happened in October of 2013, but Stella wasn't sacked until February 2014, about 4 months later, after a lot of pressure from even her fellow ministers.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/155086-ministers-presidential-panel-pressured-jonathan-sack-indicted-aviation-minister-stella-oduah.html?tztc=1

He protected her till the end, but of course, she did not enjoy as much protection as Diesiani

SoNature:


Yet, Jonathan didn't agree to meet with her. That was why she was sacked later. I remember the story clearly.

PDP was very good at putting round peg in round hole
APC is a booty sharing party
That's why folks life aribisala0 will tell you expertise doesn't matter to defend APC's loyalty reward model
Discos failed due to lack of technical expertise!!
Fashola needs to hear this

Dora Akuyili
Barth Nnaji
Ngozi Okonji Iweala
Chukwuma Soludo

And many more
Igbos have always proven to be passionate about a better country but people from certain tribes has always draged Nigeria back. Out of jealous, they still don't want Igbos to go their way and build a world class country.

That's Witchcraft

Yeah, and now years later, we see the effects of not following his advice.

Especially in the financial independece bit.

This is the genesis of the problem of Nigeria.
Entrenched Nepotism and Favoritism,these 2 factors have contributed greatly to the total failure and decline of Nigeria.
God bless Prof Barth Nnaji for standing firm on providing Electricity to power Aba.
I shudder when I think the project was held up in court for 10 years, a little bird whispered that a big man from Anambra who is the major shareholder in Enugu Disco tried to stop the Project. Nigeria will continue to regress unless Asiwaju scatters Nigeria.
Asiwaju must scatter power Generation,thank God he has already started the demolition, states,local government and even private individuals can now generate and distribute Electricity.
Asiwaju must scatter the Police,thank God the bill for the state police is now in the second reading in the National Assembly.
Asiwaju must scatter those who oppose State ownership of natural resources, let every state develop at his own pace. We must destroy this crazy myth that states can't own their own resources.
If a man can be trusted to guide the affairs of a state and he does it very well,and is now promoted to rule the Country,why can't we allow such a person to handle the natural resources in his/her state.
We must scatter Nigeria by allowing each state control their resources,only then can we progress as a nation.
God bless Nigeria.

Barth Nnaji was caught up in corruption and was fired. As a minister, he wanted to use his private company to corner a power plant, other cabals fought for their own interests too. He destroyed the foundation of the privatization process.

SpecialAdviser:
Dora Akuyili
Barth Nnaji
Ngozi Okonji Iweala
Chukwuma Soludo

And many more
Igbos have always proven to be passionate about a better country but people from certain tribes has always draged Nigeria back. Out of jealous, they still don't want Igbos to go their way and build a world class country.

That's Witchcraft

Aside Dora Akunyili, others were average, Okonjo was the worst.

That why some of us insisted you stay , because if you did today Nigerian would have power

the power generated by Geometric power would not go to the national grid, but go to Aba and 9 other local governments in Abia state as a start.

This is splendid!

Asides supplying Aba with the much needed power, it will also relieve the national grid of what would have been apportioned for Aba.

Kudos to this great mind. I remembered during his stint as power minister, power was already getting stabilized. But the wicked powers that be frustrated him out and Jona could do nothing.

9jatriot:
I have said it before and I will say it again. GEJ should never have allowed his top performing minister to resign. If he could protect Desianni and Stella Uduah, then Barth should have been protected at all cost even if it meant lookking the other to what his distractors were accusing him of.

You are right. These are part of the reasons some people called him a weakling. And some others will be thinking its tribalism.

Obj would never have allowed this guy to be frustrated out except if he himself has vested interest.