Senate President Frowns on Poor Power Supply
Senate President Senator David Mark has decried the unabating epileptic power supply in the country, in spite of promises in the wake of the privatisation of the sector.
Speaking to the management team of the Electricity Management Services Limited (EMSL) in Abuja weekend, Mark, in a release issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Paul Mumeh, said: “In spite of the high expectations and promises on account of the privatisation of the power sector, Nigerians are yet to feel the positive impact of the sector”.
He therefore charged operators of the industry to give meaning to the privatisation by making the sector work so that citizens can enjoy uninterrupted power supply all over the country.
Mark noted that the snail speed rate of development in the power sector does not give credence to the privatisation exercise and the expectations of Nigerians. He also challenged industry operators to get rid of quacks in the profession in order to give consumers quality services. The Senate President tasked them to take the bull by the horn by embarking on manufacturing of electrical tools instead of relying totally on importation, saying that importation should only compliment. This, he opined, would save cost and curtail capital flight besides creating jobs for the populace.
Earlier, the Managing Director of EMLS, Mr. Peter Ewesor, explained that the mandate of the agency includes but is not limited to ensuring that electrical equipment used in the energy supply industry are of the right quality, standards and specifications. Ewesor added that the agency ensures the safety of lives and property within the grid and off grid networks.
The EMSL is one of the players in the electricity supply industry established in accordance with the provisions of part 1 section 8 of the power sector reform act 2005 and the supplementary regulations number 46/47 (B499-452 ) of the federal government official Gazette no 374 of 2010.
Meanwhile, Mark has sent a message of solidarity to the Nigerian workers, urging them to uphold the indomitable spirit and resilience that have propelled the nation to greatness.
The Senate President, in a solidarity message to mark the workers’ day in Abuja, urged them to sustain the hands that produce the wealth of the nation, just as he told employers of labour to reciprocate through improved welfare.
According to Mark, “on this day as always, I salute the indomitable spirit of the Nigerian worker. I commend your resilience and steadfastness that have kept the nation alive. I am to remind you to always make productivity the cornerstone at all times. That way, you will be contributing to the survival of the nation.
“To this end, I earnestly request that we review our strategies and penchant or resort to industrial action at will. I am convinced that dialogue remains the best road map towards resolving any disagreement no matter how complicated. Resort to strike action always carries far-reaching political and economic consequences that unarguably retard growth.