I wonder why State Governors have not shown any interest in electricity in their respective States. Whereas there is provision in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria giving power also to the State governments to build power stations in the states.
Electric power
is therefore under the concurrent legislative list and this means to interpret
that both the Federal and the State governments are empowered to provide
electricity for the people.
Under part
II, Section 14 (a) – (c), the power given to the States is stated as follows:
A House of Assembly may make laws for the State with respect to –
a) electricity
and the establishment in that state of electric power stations;
b) the
generation, transmission and distribution of electricity to areas not covered that
State; and
c) the establishment
within that state of any authority for the promotion and management of electric
power stations established by the state.
With the express
provisions empowering States to establish electric power stations and to ensure
that citizens have regular power supply, it is surprising that no state
government has even shown concern in this important sector. Electricity is no
doubt the bedrock of the economy. I wonder why no attention is given to
electricity; instead governors are pursuing revenue drive to run their
governments.
People
depend much more on their generators to run their businesses, yet governments
at all levels want the citizens to pay their taxes.
It
is important to mention that states should create a Ministry of Power and
appoint a Commissioner to be in charge of Power and Energy sector. Electricity
is too important to be so neglected.
We
in the Mighty Voice use this medium to call on the fellow Nigerians to rise up
to protest that if there is no supply of electricity for at least six hours in
the day time and at least four hours at night, nobody should pay tax. This
nonsense must stop when we rise up in one accord to protest.
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