FG Not Opposed To State Power Projects – Fashola

The Federal Government on Thursday said it was not opposed to state governments developing their own power projects, according to the Minster of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola.

Speaking in Jos at a meeting of the National Council on Power (NACOP), the minister noted, “I heard statements to the effect that Federal Government should allow the states to develop their own power projects.

“The truth is that Federal government is not standing on the way of any state; the laws do not stand in the way of any state to develop power projects.

“Because as governor, we built seven power plants, government did not stop us; what we could not do is to do commercial distribution which the law actually allows under license through Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).”

Speaking on the theme of the meeting, “Completing Power Sector Reforms”, Fashola explained that the meeting provided opportunity to share with representatives of state governments, other participants what the Power Sector Recovery Programme (PSRC) was about.

The minister said some of the reform actions contained in the PSRC were already being undertaken at the Federal Government’s level.

He, however, said that there were other areas of the reform where progress in the sector would be defined by what happened at the state and local government.
Fashola listed some of the advocacy required from states governments to their citizens to include:

“State authorities should ensure that their residents comply with safety standard on building by not building on the right of way of 332/ 133, 33 and 11KVA lines.

“States can also help by leading the advocacy for the residents to pay for the energy they fairly believe that they have consumed, while we continue to work to resolve the metering issues and estimated billing.

“States should lead the advocacy for people to stop bypassing meters and stealing energy; energy theft happens in the municipal levels, not in the senate, not in the villa or the house of reps.”

The minister urged the states to consider asking their attorney generals to review the financial jurisdiction limits of their various magistrates and area courts so that they could be able to try cases related to energy theft.

Earlier, Chairman, Senate Committee on Power, Sen Eyinnaya Abaribe, had expressed confidence that NACOP would further evolve steps to improve the sector.

He said it was important to acknowledge and fully implement the laws regulating the powers sector.