30 October 2014, Abuja – The Federal Ministry of Power on Thursday announced its intention to partner the National Association of Nigerian Students against the menace of unabated vandalism of pipelines and other electricity infrastructure across the country.
It said the partnership was to ensure that the goal of adequate and constant power supply to every Nigerian becomes a reality.
The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, disclosed this at the headquarters of the ministry after receiving an award of excellence from the NANS.
Nebo, in a statement from the FMOP, said the students’ association would be engaged as agents of change in the fight against sabotage of government assets in the sector, a hazard which had greatly undermined the efforts of both the past and present administration in the provision of uninterrupted power supply.
On capacity building, the minister said the National Power Training Institute would incorporate students into its programme, as they would have undergone necessary skill acquisition before graduation.
This, he said, would enable them have seamless transition as mechanical and electrical engineers to contribute positively in the new power sector.
He also spoke about the plan of his ministry to leverage on its proposed National Power Sector Apprenticeship Scheme to reduce over dependence of the sector on foreign expertise.
He said, “Our people have the right to know. NANS should be involved in our sensitisation efforts as we will gladly support any robust programme aimed at building enterprise and patriotism.”
Earlier, the NANS President, Mr. Tijani Usman, commended the minister for stabilising the sector, stressing that there had been noticeable improvement in the supply of power nationwide.
He requested the minister to consider incorporating students in the sector’s consumers’ forum, training modules at NAPTIN and active participation in anti-vandalism of pipelines and other power infrastructure campaign.
The NANS award of excellence was conferred on the power minister, his Minister of State, Mr. Mohammed Wakil, and the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Godknows Igali, in Abuja.
– The Punch