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A cross-section of Nigerians has
expressed disgust over lawmakers fruitless probe of energy contracts, as the
House of Representatives Committee on Power, says the House has concluded plans
to investigate all privatisation in the power sector, to ensure that the
challenges being presently faced are resolved.
“The probe of the power sector
has finally become ritualistic. The 7th Assembly scrutinised the executives
over transactions in the energy sector. The 8th Assembly did exactly the same;
and now, the 9th (National) Assembly!”, an importer, Anthony Emeordi told the
Maritime First at Apapa, Lagos, lamenting that each probe had been fruitless
and useless like the one before it.
Speaking further, Emeordi tasked
some of the current lawmakers who were in the 8th Assembly to enlighten the
members of the 9th Assembly on what transpired before, furnishing them with
relevant documents where necessary, rather than embarking on another wild,
fruitless and useless probe.
Speaking in the same vein, a
woman trader at Gbagi Market in Ibadan, Mrs. Sade Agboola mocked the proposed
probe, stressing that Nigerians have begun to see the ‘ritualistic’ probes as
‘food for the boys’ game, noting that electricity supply in Nigeria, despite
the constancy of probes, is not only abysmally low, but totally discouraging.
“Every regime has played on our
intelligence, voting stupendous and criminal billions towards providing
electricity which has forever remain a mirage!
“Anyone who has not learnt, will
never learn again! There’s no difference! All of them have remained the same!”,
the woman trader said again, stressing that Nigerians no longer expect anything
remarkable, in the light of electricity, even from the Buhari government.
“Didn’t even this government say
they would do magic within the first six months? Have they done anything
different? Even now, five years after Buhari takes over, we are still going to
mosques to pray that NEPA should give us Pre-paid meters! Is that not so?”, she
asked, wondering why every regime, in the area of electricity supply had been
worse than the one before it.
One respondent in Ibadan, an
IPMAN member, Pastor Bolutife Egbewole however praised President Muhammadu
Buhari, noting that his administration has witnessed a sincere improvement in
power supply.
In the meantime, Rep. Magaji
Aliyu, Chairman of the Committee said on Friday in Abuja when he led other
members on an oversight function to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
“The house has just been
mandated to investigate all power sector privatisation from the public
enterprises to the Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos).
“This will commence by next week
so that the issue of no power will be solved and Nigerians get value for their
money
“The complexity of this sector
is enormous when TCN has capacity to wheel
10,000 megawatts and the Distribution Companies (DisCos do not take more
than 3,000.
“Why we are paying for
undelivered capacity in billions of naira, something has to change,” he said.
Aliyu also urged the management
of TCN to ensure that Nigerian engineers were patronised in the execution of
projects in the sector.
“President Muhammadu Buhari has
signed an Executive Order aimed at boosting the domestic production of goods
and creating jobs in science, technology and engineering in the country.
“The President has signed the
order that no project should be given to any foreign company unless there is no
Nigerian company
“My committee will look into
this very seriously to ensure the order is carried out as we will not support
any contract given out to foreign companies no matter how technical.
“There can be a technical
partnership as we must protect Nigerians and Nigerian businesses,” he said.
He urged the management of TCN
to work with NASS, adding that the members were ready to assist them to achieve
their goals.
Responding, the Acting Managing
Director of TCN, Mr Sule Abdulaziz said that there was the need to strengthen
the transmission sector by ensuring critical transformation of the existing
system.
According to Abdulaziz, the
government, regulator and TCN management will all play key roles in ensuring
the transformation of the power sector.
“With the government taking the
lead to create the right investment while TCN focus on implementing new
technology, faster projects execution and improving operational efficiencies,”
he said.
According to him, Members as
representatives of the people and legislators have important roles to play by
ensuring that the populace they represent have sufficient and qualitative power
supply
He said that ensuring a
qualitative power supply to all constituencies would boost economic growth in
the country.
“In order to drive growth in
capacity utilisation, the immediate focus of the new TCN management will be on
repairing existing equipment which are failing and prone to breakdowns.
“Regular, proactive maintenance
processes will be institutionalised to reduce the occurrence and impact of
breakdowns.
‘We are also going to prioritise
on expanding our capacity via new projects that will span across the entire
nation.
“These are some of the
considerations that will help in achieving the goal in improving the
performance of the transmission sector,’’ the TCN boss said.
Credit; www.maritimefirstnewspaper.com
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