If Patel can’t take the heat, he must bow out - NFP

If Patel can’t take the heat, he must bow out - NFP

By Dhanjay Deo
Thursday 04/02/2021
NFP’s General Secretary Seni Nabou and CEO of Energy Fiji Limited Hasmukh Patel

The National Federation Party says the CEO of Energy Fiji Limited Hasmukh Patel deserves the strongest condemnation for saying that people should buy generators if they need power soon after a cyclone.

NFP’s General Secretary Seni Nabou says thousands of people are unemployed and thousands have to survive on reduced wages and salaries and people are still reeling from the wrath of Cyclones Yasa and Ana and widespread flooding.

She says at a time when thousands are struggling to put food on the table, Patel is arrogantly asking people to buy generators.

Nabou says it is EFL's lawful obligation to provide an uninterrupted supply of power to every citizen and Patel’s advice for people to generate their own power is an open admission of his failure.

Nabou further says Patel is clearly wilting under public pressure, and if he cannot take the heat, he must bow out.

She adds it is also worrying that Patel appears to be struggling to properly manage his staffing, where he has said that his staff were working without breaks to restore power after TC Yasa.

The NFP’s General Secretary says this shows EFL is under-staffed and overstretched in its core function of ensuring constant and safe power supply.

We are trying to get a response from Hasmukh Patel.

Patel had said yesterday that people should buy a generator if they want power supply soon after a cyclone.

Patel says they have certain procedures which have to be followed before power is restored and they do not have unlimited labour force and cannot just employ people for a cyclone and keep them on their payroll as it will be a cost to the EFL.

Patel says they currently have around 400 people engaged in restoring power supply around Fiji and also have 15 private contractors.

FEATURE NEWS
Fiji welcomes RFNS Timo from Australia
Following the decommissioning of RFNS Puamau, Fiji has welcomed the Guardian-class patrol boat RFNS Timo, another gift from Australia. The $18 mill...
40 minutes ago
LATEST NEWS
VegFest Fiji encourages people to eat plant-base foods to combat NCD related death in Fiji
VegFest Fiji is encouraging people to eat plant-base foods to combat the various life style diseases that people are facing and die from every ...
1 hour ago

U.S Secretary of Defence traditionally welcomed upon his arrival in Nadi
The United States Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin III was accorded a traditional ceremony to welcome him upon his arrival in Nadi for a 2-day ...
2 hours ago

Grace Road found to be breaching employment and health and safety laws
Grace Road Company throughout Viti Levu has been found to be breaching the Employment Relations Act 2007 and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1996 ...
13 hours ago

USP Celebrates Global No.1 Rankings for Tourism and Hospitality Programmes
The University of the South Pacific (USP) has achieved global recognition for its excellence in Tourism and Hospitality Education, earning the No. 1 ...
15 hours ago

Open-heart surgeries for Fiji and the region
Great news for the people of Fiji and the greater South Pacific Region as the regions largest and highest rated super-specialty private hospital ...
15 hours ago



fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan
Latest Videos

Stay tuned for the latest news on our radio stations

CFL radio frequencies
yb
IN DEPTH
Doctor Alipate Vakamocea on fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan
Fiji Medical Association President, Doctor Alipate Vakamocea will appear on fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan The show will focus on ...
8 days ago

Mangal and Akauola on fijivillage Straight Talk With Vijay Narayan
Adult Teen Challenge Fiji Executive Director, Hemraj Mangal and Director, Matai Akauola appear on fijivillage Straight Talk With Vijay Narayan The ...
8 days ago

Sporting federations demand answers from FASANOC
National sporting federations who are part of Fiji Association of Sport and National Olympic Committee or FASANOC, are still calling for answers and ...
15 days ago

TOP