Mohammed Shosanya
President, Nigeria Consumer Protection Network,Mr.Kunle Olubiyo,has commended President Muhammadu Buhari,for signing into law the constitutional amendment allowing states in the country to licence, generate, transmit, and distribute electricity.
He said the act is unprecedentedly a bold step and right step in the right direction.
He said in a statement that the recent development would enhance inclusive growth, upscale global economic competitive indexes , break the monopoly of the FederalGovernment in power generation, transmission and distribution,rail transport system and upstakes end users xustomers right to choices/ alternatives
According to him,the act will strengthen cash inflow from Foreign Direct Investment ( FDIs ) .
It will also partly fulfilled the aspirations and yearnings of the quest for resource control and true federalism,he said
He added:”The over concentration of power and management of natural resources cum economic activities in the hand of federal government,particularly in areas where the 36 states could do better has over the years redefined American styled true federalism into a Nigerian version of feeding bottle federalism which by implications has reduced the 36 state governments that made up the federating units into lazy,unproductive, redundant and under utilized entities”
Presidential media spokesperson, Tolu Ogunlesi,had recently tweeted, “President #MBuhari has signed 16 constitution amendment bills into law. By this signing, State Houses of Assembly & judiciaries now have constitutionally guaranteed financial independence, while railways have moved from exclusive legislative list to the concurrent list.
“Another landmark change: By virtue of the presidential assent, Nigerian states can now generate, transmit and distribute electricity in areas covered by the national grid. (This) wasn’t allowed pre-amendment. This is genuine, realistic restructuring — through the constitution.”
