The Governors of the 36 states of the federation have kicked against the Senate Electricity Bill as prepared by the National Assembly.
The governors are saying that the bill if allowed to sail through would deny states of their constitutionally defined roles.
They are of the opinion that the bill is injurious to the states with regards to generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity in their domains.
Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr John Kayode Fayemi, has already written to the Chairman Senate Committee on Power, Senator Gabriel Suswam, to express the Governors objection to the Bill.
The Governors wonder why Senator Suswam had in an article argued that “The Electricity Bill 2022 was based on recommendations put together by a team of Consultants engaged by the Senate Committee on Power.
He maintained that the Electricity Bill was not a “true and fair” reflection of stakeholders in the Nigerian electricity sector, particularly the State governments.
They pointing out that it was also not a “true and fair” reflection of the Federal executive arm.”
The forum’s Chairman noted that clause 2 (2) of the bill is rather injurious to the constitutional rights of States with regards to electricity generation, transmission, and distribution.
He stated that the bill limits the powers of State governments to build generation plants, transmission and distribution lines only in areas not covered by the national grid and further shrinks the powers of States to make laws for electricity within their state jurisdictions.
Fayemi said that the NGF’s submission detailed other aspects of the Electricity bill which not only violates the constitutional rights of States, but also unconstitutionally gives powers to the National Assembly and the Federal Government with respect to the supervision and regulation of electricity generation, transmission, and distribution within States.
The NGF however harped on the need to engage the House of Representatives on the respective bills for the electricity sector, particularly the Electricity Power Sector Reform Act Amendment Bill 2020 and other bills, which also infringe on the constitutional rights of states to make laws for electricity, with a view to harmonizing it into a single draft electricity bill.
Nigeria Governors Forum Moves Against Electricity Bill
The Governors of the 36 states of the federation have kicked against the Senate Electricity Bill as prepared by the National Assembly.
The governors are saying that the bill if allowed to sail through would deny states of their constitutionally defined roles.
They are of the opinion that the bill is injurious to the states with regards to generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity in their domains.
Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr John Kayode Fayemi, has already written to the Chairman Senate Committee on Power, Senator Gabriel Suswam, to express the Governors objection to the Bill.
The Governors wonder why Senator Suswam had in an article argued that “The Electricity Bill 2022 was based on recommendations put together by a team of Consultants engaged by the Senate Committee on Power.
He maintained that the Electricity Bill was not a “true and fair” reflection of stakeholders in the Nigerian electricity sector, particularly the State governments.
They pointing out that it was also not a “true and fair” reflection of the Federal executive arm.”
The forum’s Chairman noted that clause 2 (2) of the bill is rather injurious to the constitutional rights of States with regards to electricity generation, transmission, and distribution.
He stated that the bill limits the powers of State governments to build generation plants, transmission and distribution lines only in areas not covered by the national grid and further shrinks the powers of States to make laws for electricity within their state jurisdictions.
Fayemi said that the NGF’s submission detailed other aspects of the Electricity bill which not only violates the constitutional rights of States, but also unconstitutionally gives powers to the National Assembly and the Federal Government with respect to the supervision and regulation of electricity generation, transmission, and distribution within States.
The NGF however harped on the need to engage the House of Representatives on the respective bills for the electricity sector, particularly the Electricity Power Sector Reform Act Amendment Bill 2020 and other bills, which also infringe on the constitutional rights of states to make laws for electricity, with a view to harmonizing it into a single draft electricity bill.
