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Claim: An online blog, instablog9ja [@ instablog], posted that there was a power outage at the national assembly when the minister of power, Adebayo Adelabu, was in the senate chamber for a public hearing.
Verdict: TRUE. Available evidence reveals a power outage while the minister was in the building, although it only lasted five minutes.
Full Text
On April 29, 2024, the Nigerian Senate Committee on Power met with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission to end the increase in electricity tariffs by power distribution agencies. During the meeting, the Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, explained that Nigeria needs a yearly revenue of $10 billion for ten years before it can revive its power sector, hence the need for inflation.
However, on April 30, 2024, an online blog, instablog9ja [@instablog9ja], posted a picture of the minister with the headline “Power reportedly going off at the National Assembly, while the minister of power was in the building.”
The post garnered 1.9 million views, 4,918 reposts, 1,205 quotes, and over 30,000 likes.
In the comment session, an X user, Owokodu-Idris (@ajelvy-oia), said,
“Was that a sabotage or coincidence? National Assembly should be running on generators or inverters during sessions with that kind of budget they have year in and out!”
Another user, Jeremiah Adetunji (@jeremiahadetunji), said,
“Does he have two heads? What’s the big deal? The people in government should face what regular Nigerians face daily due to leadership failure. That way, they know public service isn’t Sherekambia! If you don’t have the competence, leave,” he writes.
Desire (@tife-desire) wrote, “Nah minister order boys to turn off the light…National assembly no pay for B and A.”
Another commentator, Ikechukwu Kingsley (@kingsley K19118), wrote, “African giant African richest country. But still haven’t solved electricity problem till today, while a small Tanzanian country recently shot down 6 hydro dams to reduce excess electricity.”
DUBAWA sought to verify the claim due to its sensitivity.
Verification
DUBAWA observed that the mainstream media also used the story in Punch and Leadership Newspapers. The power outage was reported to have lasted only five minutes.
According to Punch Newspaper, Mr Adelabu was answering questions from senators at an investigative hearing on “the need to halt the increase in the price of electricity” organised by the Senate Committee on Power when the light went off. Power was, after that, restored in less than five minutes.
Speaking with reporters at the Senate chambers about the power interruption, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, Eyinnaya Abaribe, said the minister’s comments about stable electricity in the country were implicative.
He said, “You see what just happened. This is what we all experience. We, the senators, experience it too. I am sure even the President does experience it at the Villa, just that he cannot speak out like we are.”
Conclusion
DUBAWA’s findings show a power outage at the national assembly, but the outage lasted for only five minutes. The claim is, therefore, true.
Editor’s Note: Alteration has been made to the first paragraph of this publication.
The researcher produced this fact-check for the DUBAWA 2024 Kwame KariKari Fellowship, in partnership with Olufisoye Adenitan, FRCN positive fm Akure Ondo state Nigeria, to facilitate the ethos of “truth” in journalism and enhance media literacy in the country.
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