Niger Delta youths call for review of power sector

THE South-South Youth Consultative Enlightenment and Mobilisation Council, has urged the Federal Government to review the privatisation of the power sector to boost electricity output in the country.

Mr Chris Nnodim, the National Director of Publicity of the council, a Non-Governmental Organisation, made this call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.

He said that the power distribution companies, which bought the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), had yet to deliver stable electricity supply to Nigerians, nearly four years after the acquisition.

NAN recalls that the Federal Government had in 2013, handed over PHCN to private investors by splitting the company into generation, transmission and distribution companies.

According to Nnodim, the investors, who bought PHCN do not have the capacity to meet the needs of the people, going by the current poor electricity supply in the country.

“Four years after the privatisation of the power sector, Nigerians are yet to get improved power supply and power infrastructure.

“The Federal Government should not allow the status quo to remain, and as such, must seriously consider reviewing the entire privatisation process for optimal performance of the sector.

“The current electricity shortage in the country is alarming and it is scaring away investors from investing in other sectors of the economy,” he said.

Nnodim said that most Nigerians were paying for services not rendered to them by the electricity distribution companies.

He said the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) must compel the power distribution companies to provide pre-paid meters for proper metering in the interest of electricity consumers.

The youth leader urged the Federal Government to withdraw the licences of any distribution company that failed to provide the pre-paid meters for their customers and expand its network.

“The development of the country depend on the survival of local industries, and as such, policies must be geared towards the strengthening of the nation’s economy through small scale industries,” he said.

NAN reports that the country has six generations, one transmission and 11 distribution companies managing the nation’s power sector.