Reps To Buhari: Declare Emergency On Power Sector

The House of Representatives has called on President Muhammadu Buhari, to declare a state of emergency in the power sector.

The call followed the unanimous adoption of a motion on the power sector at the plenary on Thursday.

A member, Nnolim Nnaji, had moved the motion titled ‘Urgent Need to Declare State of Emergency on the Power Sector.’

Adopting the motion, the House urged the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to declare a state of emergency on the power sector.

The House also mandated the Committee on Power to “urgently call for a public hearing on the current state of electricity generation, transmission and distribution; to evaluate the real problems and come up with ideas on how we can expand our energy sources beyond hydro and gas plants to include coal, solar and other renewable sources of energy.”

The lawmakers further directed the House Committee on Power to exercise its oversight powers by visiting the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission and other relevant agencies to ensure absolute compliance with all the provisions of existing laws.

In addition, the House directed the committees on power and legislative compliance to ensure prompt implementation of the motion and report back within six weeks for further legislative action.

Moving the motion, Nnaji said Nigeria should take advantage of the peculiar endowments of nature in its environment and harness the various alternative and viable sources of energy in the country.