Nigeria - Power crisis paralyzes country; NEPA Electric Co sacked for corruption, woeful failure;

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Tuesday, 14 March, 2000, 22:15 GMT

Nigerian appoints crisis electricity management

President Obasanjo of Nigeria has sacked the management of the state electricity company, NEPA, after a power crisis that has paralysed the country.

Mr Obasanjo accused the management of endemic corruption and of woeful failure.

He immediately appointed a crisis committee to run the company, saying it would report directly to him.

Nigeria's largest city, Lagos, has been without electricity for a week -- with hospitals, schools and industrial plants unable to function without generators.

When President Obasanjo took office last May, he made sweeping changes at the top of the electricity company, saying making it work was one of his priorities.

The BBC Lagos correspondent says it seems the President underestimated the scale of the problem and the power of the vested interests in the company.

Source: BBC World News Service, United Kingdom

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/africa/newsid_676000/676562.stm

-- Lee Maloney (leemaloney@hotmail.com), March 18, 2000


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