TheCable

Magaji Aliyu, chairman of the house of representatives committee on power, says there are political ploys against power sector growth in the country. 

Speaking on Wednesday at the third annual general meeting of the Association of Rural Electrification Contractors of Nigeria (ARECON), in Abuja, Aliyu attributed the crisis in the power sector to inefficient and dynamic policies.

The lawmaker noted that the relocation of certain parastatals and agencies under the ministry of power to other ministries was an aberration and capable of causing confusion in the sector.

“Today, you will hear that a particular part of the ministry of power has been shifted to another organisation, which I believe is an aberration of the concept,” Aliyu said.

“For example, Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Company, there is a tug of war. Where does the organisation belong? Is it in power or is it in the Ministry of Finance? There is an issue of Hydro-Power Development Authority, is it going to the presidency, or to power?

“I believe that there are political machinations not allowing power sector to grow in this country.”

Aliyu added that the challenges in the sector were enormous as Nigerians were paying for the power they did not consume, a situation he said was undesirable.

He also stated that lawmakers do not interfere in the procurement process during the award of contracts.