Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, says some electricity consumers have asked him to “slow down” improvements in power supply because their freezers are now working continuously.

Tegbe made the remark on Wednesday in Abuja while speaking at the commissioning of a 3-megawatt solar hybrid power project at Yakubu Gowon University, formerly the University of Abuja.

According to the Minister, some areas that previously experienced prolonged power outages are now receiving up to 18 hours of electricity daily.

He said some consumers had contacted him to complain that the improved supply was causing their freezers to operate continuously.

“Places that didn’t have light at all for three months are now having 18 hours light. Some areas called me to say, look, I should slow down, that everything in their freezer is freezing. That is what freezer is meant to do. Let it freeze the food that needs to be frozen,” Tegbe said.

The Minister recalled that during his Senate screening, he had promised Nigerians that noticeable improvements in electricity supply would begin within three to six months.

He, however, acknowledged the challenges confronting the sector, noting that some electricity infrastructure across the country is more than 40 years old.

Tegbe said the Federal Government was systematically replacing obsolete infrastructure and introducing new facilities to improve the reliability of electricity supply.

He also expressed concern over the vandalism of critical power infrastructure, revealing that three major transmission towers in Birnin Kebbi had been brought down by vandals.

According to him, the affected towers formed part of the infrastructure supplying electricity to Kebbi State and extending to Niger Republic.

He said the vandals attacked the foundations of the towers before bringing them down and cutting parts of the structures for sale in the scrap market.

Tegbe disclosed that the Federal Government had established a joint working committee involving the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the Nigeria Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, to monitor and protect national electricity assets.

“You will not believe how many towers get pulled down by vandals,” he said.

He added that efforts were underway to ensure vandalism of critical electricity infrastructure is treated as a serious criminal offence.

Yakubu Gowon University Solar Project

Speaking on the university project, Tegbe said the facility comprises a 3.3-megawatt solar array, 3MW AC output capacity and battery storage to supply electricity to critical facilities within the institution.

He said the project would power lecture halls, laboratories, ICT facilities, administrative buildings, campus lighting and other essential services.

According to him, more than 58,726 students are expected to benefit from the project, which includes 6,078 photovoltaic panels and 388 streetlights installed across the university.

The Minister said the project also created 3,201 jobs during its implementation.

He explained that the battery storage capacity could be expanded to provide electricity to additional parts of the university, including student hostels.

Tegbe said the Rural Electrification Agency, REA, would collaborate with the university to address areas of the campus that still require improved lighting.

He also urged the institution to use the facility to promote research into renewable energy, battery storage, smart metering, energy management, grid integration, cybersecurity and other areas of modern energy technology.

The Managing Director of the REA, Abba Abubakar Aliyu, described the project as a significant milestone under the Energizing Education Programme.

Aliyu said the programme should not be assessed solely by the amount of electricity generated, but also by its impact on students, academic activities, research and the overall learning environment.

He said reliable electricity would improve laboratory operations, strengthen digital services and reduce pressure on university operating budgets.

The Head of the Nigeria Electrification Project, Olufemi Akinyelure, said the wider development opportunities created by reliable electricity should also be considered in assessing the project.

He said investment in education remained important because powering universities goes beyond lighting buildings to supporting learning, innovation and national development.

Also speaking, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, commended the Federal Government and the Minister for implementing the Energizing Education Programme.

Abaribe said reliable electricity was fundamental to the development of Nigeria’s education system, recalling that power supply in universities was more dependable during his time as a student.

He, however, stressed that communities must play an active role in protecting public infrastructure to ensure its sustainability.

Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University, Professor Hakeem Fawehinmi, said dependable electricity was essential to the institution’s academic mission.

Fawehinmi said a modern university could not effectively conduct teaching, research, laboratory activities and digital services without reliable power supply.

He thanked the Federal Government and the REA for the intervention, describing the solar hybrid project as a major infrastructure investment in the university.

The Vice-Chancellor also called for continued collaboration between government agencies and the university to ensure the facility remains operational and delivers its intended benefits to students and staff.

The Obidient Movement on Wednesday demanded clarification from the Independent National Electoral Commission on the whereabouts and official engagements of its Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, after National Commissioner Prof. Rhoda Gumus appeared as Acting Chairman at an official engagement with an African Union delegation in Abuja.

The movement, in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Dr Yunusa Tanko, said the development had raised questions about Amupitan’s whereabouts and the circumstances surrounding his absence from the commission’s headquarters.

The development followed an INEC post on X on Tuesday, September 15, which identified Gumus as the Acting Chairman of the commission while receiving an AU Pre-Election and Needs Assessment Mission to Nigeria.

The AU delegation, led by former Ethiopian Foreign Minister, Demeke Mekonnen, visited INEC headquarters in Abuja as part of its assessment of Nigeria’s preparations for the 2027 general elections.

Gumus is a serving National Commissioner of INEC and is listed on the commission’s official website among its national commissioners.

However, Tanko said the movement was concerned that there had been no public communication, to its knowledge, explaining when or why Amupitan handed over his duties to Gumus.

He said, “As far as the Obidient Movement and Nigerians are concerned, there was no official communication of Professor Amupitan’s handover to anyone, either in acting or substantive capacity.

“This raises legitimate questions about the Chairman’s current location, official schedule and the circumstances surrounding his absence.”

The group urged INEC to clarify where Amupitan was, when he left Abuja, the purpose of his absence and who authorised it.

It also asked the commission to disclose whether the chairman had travelled outside the country and, if so, the official engagements he had undertaken.

The movement further demanded clarification on whether Amupitan had met, or was scheduled to meet, President Bola Tinubu, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress or any representative of the ruling party.

Tanko said the questions were necessary because of INEC’s constitutional responsibility for conducting elections and the importance of public confidence in the commission’s leadership ahead of the 2027 polls.

“As Nigeria moves closer to the 2027 general elections, the INEC Chairman cannot operate in secrecy,” he said.

The movement national coordinator also questioned what it described as the chairman’s alleged “antecedents and strong affection for the APC,” urging INEC to demonstrate transparency and political neutrality in its operations.

He said, “The era of the INEC Chairman having strategy meetings with the APC and the ruling party must be a thing of the past.

“Nigerians do not trust this INEC Chairman or the Commission he leads, so it behoves him and the Commission to not only be transparent and non-partisan, but to also be seen as such.”

Tanko further said the electoral commission belonged to Nigerians and that its leadership should remain accountable to the public.

“It is important to reemphasise that the electoral commission belongs to the Nigerian people. Its leadership must therefore be accountable to the public and must not leave room for speculation about secret political engagements, especially given their many past antecedents and the crisis of confidence that the Commission continues to face,” he said.

The movement therefore called on INEC to publicly state Amupitan’s whereabouts and explain his official engagements.

The call comes as INEC intensifies preparations for the 2027 general elections.

Efforts to get the reaction of the commission were unsuccessful.

As of the time of filing this story, INEC Chief Press Secretary, Dayo Oketola, could not be reached on the phone to clarify the issue.

A 68-year-old British woman, Dawn Ottewell, has said she is struggling to locate her Nigerian husband, Bright Emokpae, 31, whom she married in 2022.

Ottewell, from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, told the UK-based newspaper, The Sun, that she wanted to divorce Emokpae, whom she accused of leaving their home and blocking her on social media.

As reported by The Sun on Monday, the couple, who have a 37-year age difference, met on dating apps in 2021 before marrying at a registry office in Nicosia, Cyprus, on March 22, 2022.

Ottewell said Emokpae initially told her that he was a professional in his 30s named Brian Thomas, but later disclosed that he was a fashion student in his mid-20s from Benin City, Nigeria.

She said she forgave him and eventually travelled to Cyprus in March 2022, where they met in person for the first time and got married.

“I know I was a fool, but I was in love,” Ottewell said.

“I was so lonely and depressed during the pandemic. I was out-of-work with several health issues. I was on Universal Credit and living with my daughter Kirsty, 33, who had a 14-month-old baby, but we were arguing all the time.

“When I met Bright, he made me feel special and alive.”

According to Ottewell, Emokpae later moved to Britain after obtaining a spouse visa, but their relationship deteriorated.

She alleged that he became distant and made frequent financial demands, including sending money to Nigeria.

“I got all-new furniture, and he didn’t put a penny towards it. When we went out for dinner, it was usually me picking up the bill,” she said.

The Sun reported that Emokpae denied the allegation, saying he contributed £400 towards his £900 flight from Nigeria and paid the council tax and water bills at their shared home.

The couple separated in October 2023 but reunited six months later after Ottewell received a £63,000 payout following a medical negligence claim related to a prolapse operation at an NHS hospital, according to The Sun.

Ottewell said she later regretted reconciling with him, alleging that he was interested in her money.

The relationship subsequently deteriorated again, and she said Emokpae left shortly before Christmas 2024 after finding messages she had exchanged with other men on dating apps.

Ottewell said she had not spoken to him since he blocked her on social media about eight months before The Sun’s report was published.

“He’s done a runner and is refusing to sign the divorce papers because I believe he wants to cling on to his spouse visa,” she said.

She also alleged that Emokpae could be living in Scotland, where she claimed he had started an online clothing business.

“I’m convinced he was never in love with me and just wanted a visa to move to England,” Ottewell said.

“And it’s because of his cherished spouse visa that he won’t agree to a divorce.”

Ottewell said she was receiving assistance from Citizens Advice as she tried to locate him and serve him with divorce papers.

“I just want him out of my life for good,” she said.

“I also want people to know that if this can happen to me, it can happen to anyone.”

When approached by The Sun, Emokpae said he had signed the divorce papers but declined to provide evidence to support his claim.