FACT-CHECK: Did Fashola Promise to Fix Power in Six Months?

CLAIM: In a report published by Economic Confidential, the Minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola stated that he never promised to stabilize power in six months.

FULL-TEXT: the report reads: “The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has denied saying that the present administration will fix power in Nigeria within six months.

“He made the denial when he featured as a guest on Channels TV’s ‘Politics Today’ on Monday night.

“Fashola told the interviewer that the statement attributed to him was a lie which he merely allowed to run.

“The former Minister of Works said: “One of the things that was said about me was that I said we will electrify Nigeria in six months. It is a lie that I allowed to run until the day I asked my media men to play the tape back [sic].

“And since then, that lie has gone. Don’t say things that I didn’t say.”

VERIFICATION: Online research by PRNigeria revealed no resource pointing out that the Minister promised that the APC government will resolve the power sector problem in six months in Nigeria.

The only closely associated report to this claim was when Fashola as Governor stated that solution to the problem of power sector in Lagos state could be achieved in six months if the Distribution Companies, DISCOs, were ready to yield some percentages of their concessions to the state government.

In 2015, the Vanguard reported that the former Governor of Lagos State Babatunde Fashola had said the problem of power would end in six or eight months in the state if….

According to Fashola, “Let the EKO DISCOs sign a contract with me, giving part of their concessioning to the state government. In about six to eight months, there will be power in all homes in Lagos State[sic].”

But as far back as 2016, Fashola had denied making the controversial statement, challenging anyone with proof to present it.

“I have heard that I said that electricity problem will be solved in six months. I have never made the statement,” he had told the Nigerian Television (NTA) shortly before the first anniversary of the Buhari administration.

CONCLUSION: PRNigeria could not find any video or audio where Fashola promised that the APC government would resolve electricity problems in six months.

Therefore, PRNigeria concludes that the claim is FALSE.

PRNIGERIA