The newly appointed Board Chairman of the Rural Electrification Agency, Ayodele Fayose, has linked the lack of electricity in rural communities to early bedtime, limited nightlife and what he described as increased population growth.
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Fayose, a former governor of Ekiti state made the remarks on Friday in Abuja while speaking after his inauguration as Chairman of the board.
In a video clip shared by ARISE News on Saturday, the former governor said the absence of electricity in rural communities had limited recreational activities and left residents with little choice but to remain at home at night.
He said, “Why you don’t address this issue of electricity? The people at that level have no alternative attraction. Nothing else matters to them. After 7 o’clock, it gets dark there. Everybody is engaging their wives. And the population simply becomes double. The simple problem is because there is lack of electricity.”
Fayose further argued that providing electricity to rural communities would encourage residents to stay out later, promote nightlife and create alternative forms of recreation.
“People go to bed early. Their mind is simply prepared that, well, if this is the only available recreation, let me remain here.
But when we address this electricity, there will be nightlife. There will be recreation outside your wife,” he said.
Fayose’s remarks came as he assumed leadership of the REA board, which is responsible for advancing the Federal Government’s efforts to expand electricity access to underserved and unserved communities across Nigeria.
Fayose was sworn in alongside other members of the REA governing board by the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe.
Also inaugurated were Ahmadu Abubakar and Ilyasu Makinta as board members, along with three other non-executive directors, while Abba Aliyu was formally installed as the agency’s Managing Director.
