The speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, says the protracted power sector problem is dampening the hope of Nigerians for industrialization and overall development.

Gbajabiamila said this in Abuja on Wednesday at the opening of a two-day investigative hearing by the House Ad-hoc Committee on Power Sector Reform. He said: “It’s no longer news that despite huge investments in the power sector, little progress may have been made.

“It’s becoming increasingly worrisome that successive governments have been unable to fix the issue of power in our country with the current state of electricity supply apparently dampening the hopes of landmark industrialization and national development.” The chairman of the committee, Alhassan Ado, asked the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Agency (NERC) utilise the N1.31 trillion fund provided by the Federal Government to stabilise the power sector.

He stressed the need to tackle metering, transmission, licensing and other challenges inhibiting progress for effective supply of power to Nigerians.

NERC Executive Chairman James Fagbemi said the N1.31trn payment assurance facility advanced to the agency for stabilization of the sector would be effectively utilized.

The Transmission Company of Nigeria said it was deploying N1, 736,349.00 for expansion of transmission lines across states in all the six geo-political zones.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/power-failure-dampening-nigerians-hope-for-devt-gbajabiamila.html

Power issues are no longer news in Nigeria.

Summon Mamman Salah and his predecessor-Fashola to explain.