Oscarline Onwuemenyi
08 July 2017, Sweetcrude, Abuja – The House of Representatives has mandated its Committee on Power to interface with electricity distribution companies, popularly called Discos, with a view to ensuring the connection of all completed electrification projects to the national grid.
The committee was given six weeks to report back to the House for further legislative action.
The House’s resolution followed a motion sponsored by Hon. Odebunmi Olusegun Dokun entitled, “Need to address the persistent refusal of electricity distribution companies, Discos to connect electrified towns and villages to the national grid.”
While moving the motion, Hon. Dokun noted that, “Since the inception of the current democratic dispensation, almost all the states of the Federation have completed many electrification projects which are yet to be connected to the national grid due to the refusal of the electricity distribution companies to do so on the ground that it is not quantifiable to the billions of naira expended on such projects and the benefits available to the communities.”
To this end, he said that the refusal of Discos to connect the electrified towns even when all the conditions have been met is frustrating government’s efforts over the years to provide electricity for the people.
According to him, “Governments at all levels are striving very diligently to better the living standards of Nigerians through the provision of the needed infrastructural facilities which include electrification of rural areas as a catalyst for the nation’s overall development.”
The motion was passed by voice vote when the Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, put it to vote.
