Confab: Our time is running out, Kutigi tells delegates

By Doyin Ojosipe with agency report

Chairman of the National Conference, Justice Idris Kutigi has reminded delegates that there was no more time left as the conference approaches its closing date even as he refused members from speaking on committees’ report.

At the debate, yesterday, the Justice was said to have stopped members from making contributions on energy review reports.

The report had urged the Federal Government to review the power sector.

Meanwhile, the Committee on Energy has urged the federal government to review its action on the privatisation of the power sector.

The committee, which was chaired by former Governor of Oyo State, Chief Rashidi Ladoja, yesterday, had reasoned that no laudable improvement has been recorded since the sector was privatised.

It added that given the report by the Federal Ministry of Power, there is an indication that the sector might just be heading towards a major crisis.

“The post-privatisation situation has so far not improved the power sector situation in the country. It has only magnified the cash flow deficit, poor gas supply and bigger ATC and C losses. The sector is consequently heading towards a major crisis”, the committee said.

The committee also said that it has observed that government’s effort to implement the NIPP and enforce EPSR 2005 has not yielded favourable results and therefore, will not develop the industry as expected.

According to the committee, “the entire process will not provide the rapid development to the electricity industry at the required rate that can take Nigeria into the league of developed nations. Consequently, the policy and Act need to be carefully reviewed. Certain provisions of the Act need to be amended, to address challenges presently affecting the performance of the sector.”

The debate has also faulted Government’s privatisation exercise, adding that state government’s was not given a role to play.