A Nigerian billionaire industrialist has recounted how God helped him to secure a permit for a $2 billion power plant project after some officials of government rejected the project.
Adedeji Adeleke, a Baptist and proprietor of Pacific Energy, said he ran into a hitch with the “difficult government officials’’ who told him the project would not see the light of day,’’ but that he went on his knees and prayed to God because he did not want to accept what the officials said as final.
He spoke on Tuesday October 15 during the Seventh Day Adventist General Conference Annual Council held in Maryland, United States.
According to Adeleke, his company was working with some Chinese engineering companies for the construction and design of the power project. He said when the Chinese friend was worried because Afrexim Bank of China was involved and the rejection of the project by the Nigerian officials could mean bankruptcy for him.
‘’I am a businessman in Nigeria. I am into the electricity business. I own a power plant. I generate about 15 per cent of the electricity needs for Nigeria. I have Chinese engineering companies that work for me. I am building the biggest power plant in Nigeria that will be completed in January 2025. It is a 1, 250 megawatt power plant.
‘’During the course of the design and getting permits, we ran into difficult government officials. For environmental reason, our permit was denied, and the particular government officials that I held a meeting with told me to my face that my project would never see the light of the day. But while he was saying that I was saying in my mind that this guy is talking as if he is God. I was saying in my mind that God should listen to him. Because he is not God, whatever he is saying is null and void.
‘’So I left, disappointed and I told my Chinese friends that unfortunately we have difficulty and this project is going to stall. Meanwhile, the project is worth about $2 billion. In the process, a lot of money had gone into the design and preliminaries. Before we get to the stage where we would need a permit and then break ground. So my Chinese friend was worried because Afrexim Bank of China was involved so that meant bankruptcy for him. I told him not to worry,’’ he said.
Adeleke, a university proprietor and father of popular musician, Davido, also said the minister of power granted approval because he believed the project was a brilliant one.
He said his Chinese friend never believed that prayer could get the project done
