By Etuka Sunday
In a bid to resolve issues of overlapping functions between the Ministry and its agency, the House of Representatives Committee on Power has waded in to convert the newly established Electricity Management Services Limited (EMSL) into an Authority, responsible for electricity equipment inspection and certification. Speaking at Committee’s public hearing yesterday, the committee
Chairman, Hon. Patrick Ikhariale said the bill for the enabling Act, Nigerian Electricity Management Services Act (NEMSA) has already scaled through the second reading and is being opened for stakeholders impute for the next stage.
Ikhariale in his address said NEMSA will empower a new Nigerian Electricity Management Services Authority (NEMSA) to provide sound technical inspection, meter testing and certification in the electricity industry to ensure system compliance and a robust standard-inclined power sector.
He said: “I have gone through the Electric Power Sector Reform Act (ESPRA) 2005, and seen that none of the bodies including the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has the full capacity to carry out this function on a more professional basis.”
Managing Director of EMSL, Engr. Peter Ewesor also said the steps will address the current spate of accidents and electrocution in the industry occurring from influx of substandard and illegal power
equipments’ importation and usage in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).
But NERC in a memo submitted to the House argued that passing Act and transforming EMSL from an incorporated entity into a statutory corporation, NEMSA to inspect electricity equipment and for other regulations is conflicting with its functions as the sole regulator in line with the ESPRA 2005.
Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Sam Amadi stated that the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) transferred the PHCN Order 2010 to newly created companies including EMSL. “It was specifically to take over operations, assets and activities of the PHCN including meter testing and central storage systems but not to incorporate the Electricity Inspectorate Services (EIS) of the Federal Ministry of Power which is supposed to be left for NERC as stated in the ESPRA. The Permanent Secretary, Power, Amb. Godknows Igali who represented the Minister of Power at the hearing noted that the ministry and the respective parties are still in consultations to resolve issues of overlap functions.
