…’We may not have power for another ten years’ –Lawan
- Senate Committee Set To Probe Into All Intervention Funds In Power Sector
The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday asked the federal government to cancel the privatization process and agreement in the power sector as grim darkness continues to pervade the nation’s landscape, seven years after leaving the distribution and generation ends in the hands of private sector players.
Recall, the privatization process was carried out during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration in 2013, with the government now overseeing only the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
Following the epileptic power that the privatization has failed to address, the Senate warned that Nigeria as a country may not have power supply in the next ten years.
Speaking yesterday during discussions on a motion titled, “Power Sector Recovery Plan and the impact of COVID- 19 Pandemic, President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan said that it is disheartening that with huge sums of money spent so far on the Power, results are not being realised.
Lawan stated that the committee would investigate trillions spent so far to revigorate the power sector without commensurate results.
He said, “We gave power to them (Power generation and distribution companies) and they still come to the public to ask for funds. I think it’s time for Nigeria to consider reversing the privatisation of the power sector or they should just cancel the entire privatisation process completely. If we leave it, we may not have power for another ten years.
“We expected efficiency and something better. DISCOS have no capacity to supply us power. We shouldn’t continue to give them money. They’re private businesses. We need to review this whole thing. Something is wrong.
“Our committee needs to investigate the trillions spent. That’s a lot of money. Try and find out what has happened so far. The government needs to look at this whole thing. Maybe the Government is not doing its own part. We need to find out. There is a lack of capital. We feel very bad. There is no electricity and the country is suffering.”
The Senate further asked the Federal Government to immediately suspend the planned electricity tariff increase due to take effect from July following the increased hardship occasioned by the Coronavirus, COVID- 19 pandemic.
It also called on the federal government, through the Ministry of Finance to include the Nigeria Electric Power Sector in the disbursement of proposed N1.7trillon Covid-19 intervention crisis fund.
The Senate has mandated the Senator Gabriel Suswam-led Senate Committee on power to investigate all Federal Government interventions in the power sector since the privatization of the sector to date with a view to ascertaining the adequacy of such interventions and their desired impact, and to report back within four weeks.
