Fayemi wants state Assemblies’ to support amendment on power
Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi says he expects that the recent amendment by the National Assembly to place power in the concurrent list would get massive support from states.
Fayemi who doubles as Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), said until such was done the country would be bedeviled by issues of power grid collapse.
He made this disclosure on Wednesday in Gombe State Government House, where he was received by Governor Muhammadu Yahaya as part of activities making his state visit.
Our correspondent reports that Power is among the items left as exclusive preserve of Federal Government, in the Exclusive list, although experts have agitated that it should be removed owing to years of Nigeria’s power challenges especially the current national grid issues.
Once the state Assemblies’ accepts, states are expected to participate in the generation, transmission of power across the 36 states of the federation.
Fayemi said, “I believe the Ministry of Power has addressed this issue, where he granted a conference where he explained why the grid collapsed and what they are doing to address the gas sufficiency to enable the grid run at a much fuller scale about our own attitude to it at the level of NGF is that we need to decentralise power generation and distribution.
“We need to ensure it goes into the concurrent list of the constitution, we are glad the National Assembly has just done that in the recent constitutional amendment am sure by the time it comes to State Assemblies it should be one time that should receive support across length and breath of the Assemblies.”
Assured Nigerians that the forum was keen in ensuring security, welfare, adding that the country is in critical period that required someone build on what had been achieved, having taken notes of gaps in the system.
“This is a very critical time for our country. Our president is doing his best to calm things down, the economy is not experiencing the best of time. Our security situation continues to be challenging and we are in a period of transition we definitely need to find a way not only to do what Mr president is doing but to also look for the best way to build on the gains of this administration over the last eight years now. To also address where we may find gaps.
“Nigeria’s developmental trajectory can not just be limited to the last eight years. It is something we need to go back in time, history at the very least go back to 1999 and begin to revisit those things that we may not be doing as well as we should. Build on those things that previous governments, our our government president Muhammadu Buhari has been addressing.
“The Nigeria’s governor’s forum can not be aloof to this development because we see it in the revenues, we see it in peace and security in the country, economic frontier in the country. In ensuring that a united stronger Nigeria is achieved,” Fayemi added.
Also Speaking, Governor Yahaya acknowledged that the country was faced with difficult times, stressing that it could be surmounted through collaboration.
Yahaya who lauded Fayemi’s visit assured that the state would remain an All Progressives Congress controlled state, after 2023.
